Mercy For the Merciless Series
by Little Kunai
Summary: Hidan and Hinata are bound together by an act of cruelty and an act of kindness
1. Mercy For the Merciless

**Mercy for the Merciless **

In which Hidan is given a lesson in mercy

* * *

Hidan was not buried in the ground and blown to smithereens like everyone thought. Oh no! Ino wanted a more satisfying revenge so she fooled Shikamaru with a clone of the priest. She used her mind control and knocked him unconscious. When the Jashinist next awoke he found himself on a ship. He found himself drained of chakra and unable to move.

"Wha-what the fuck? Where am I?"

His stomach roiled and his body ached, he noticed that his scythe, rosary and cloak were missing. He was absolutely furious!

"What the hell? Get me out of here! Hey! Heeey! I'm a Priest of Jashin and I swear to fuck that if you don't let me outta here I'm gonna-"

"What's all that racket?"

One grimy, fat man called into the gloom of the hold. His eyes lit on Hidan,

"Quiet slave! Or I'll have to get rough with you!"

Hidan let out a howl of laughter!

"Get rough with me? You don't know who the fuck your dealing with old

Man! I'll-"

"Listen. I'm not some weak little civilian you can just push around and I know perfectly well who I'm dealing with. I've taken all the necessary precautions to ensure that we won't have to ruin you. "

The man dispelled the genjutsu. There stood a younger man, well-muscled and standing with a self-possessed confidence that only shinobi had. One glance of his headband told Hidan that the man was from Kumo.

"You're absolutely perfect and your gonna make me a fortune."

He smiled at the man, giving Hidan an appraising look that made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Perfect? Perfect for what?" Hidan demanded to know.

The man laughed and licked his lips, he nodded to two shinobi Hidan hadn't even noticed. With no effort at all, Hidan was stripped naked and the man came up behind him.

The priest stiffened in shock when the man grabbed his cock and slowly began pumping it. Hidan grimaced at his erection. As a priest of Jashin he was supposed to remain celibate no matter what! This was a gross violation of his religion.

Hidan let out a furious roar when the Kumo nin slipped pre-moistened fingers into his ass. The man seemed to be feeling for something and Hidan's cheeks were burning with mortification.

The man finally found what he was looking for.

"That's a virgin ass boys!" He said happily. "They'll pay us extra for a virgin ass!"

Hidan looked stricken.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You're going to be sold as a sex slave to a very lucky lady or gentleman." The Kumo nin told the horrified priest.

"And what makes you think I'm going to do this willingly?" Hidan hissed in a desperate attempt to regain some dignity.

"I'm rather unique in the slave circuit. Not only do I sell civilians, but I also sell missing nin as high class sex slaves. The village authorities are always willing to look the other way about my little side business, as long as we don't target their loyal nin and it's a lot less trouble for them to not have to hunt you down."

Suddenly the Kumo nin made hand signs and struck Hidan in the chest. He was expecting a burst of chakra, but instead he felt a needles-and-pins sensation and a feeling as though something were slowly crawling, bleeding into his skin and latching into his chakra pathways like a parasite.

"What did you do to me?" Hidan asked, feeling woozy and falling onto his knees.

"I branded you." Explained the Kumo nin.

"You what?" Hidan asked incredulously. "You branded me? Like a fucking cow?" Hidan was pissed!

"Your not very bright are you?" The Kumo nin asked superciliously. "That's a curse seal. Curse seals can never be removed." At that the priest blanched.

"This particular curse seal is my own design. Ensuring your complete obedience to your new owner. There's no point in running a slave market for missing nin if they're just going to slaughter their owners and run now is there? That's bad business sense, so I have to ensure not only a highly proficient and obedient sex toy, but the safety of my clients. This is another reason why the authorities allow me to do what I do." He laughed humorlessly and walked away from the distraught priest, flanked by the other two shinobi.

"Oh fuck no! No no no no no no no no no no!" Hidan chanted, unable to deal with his surreal situation.

"This cannot be happening to me! I'm a priest of Jashin! Fuck! Dammit!"

Hidan began to hyperventilate, rendered as weak as a newborn kitten he could only sit there and scream and cry and rail against this hateful twist of fate!

The Kumo nin came back down.

"I said quiet slave!" He growled angrily.

Hidan couldn't even retort to the command, though his throat worked frantically, striving to get the words out of his head and into the air. With growing horror, he realized that the curse seal was already in play and there was not a Jashin-dammed thing he could do about it! That bastard Kakuzu would have paid a fortune for a curse seal like this. Hidan thought miserably. Hoping beyond hope that his partner would come and rescue him from this hellhole-on Leader's orders of course! Hot tears leaked down his cheeks as he sat in the steadily darkening hold of the ship.

The next morning Hidan woke up, feeling stiff and sore from sleeping on the tattered tatami mat on the floor. The door opened, flooding the hold with light and Hidan noticed three other people here. One was a civilian, blonde hair, well muscled blue eyes and chiseled features. He looked no older then sixteen. The other was a seething kunoichi from Oto. Looked to be in her twenties maybe, with tawny brown hair and vivid green eyes. The third was a redhead from Kusa, who had yet to wake up. The Kumo nin looked at them. He kicked the missing Kusa nin awake and had them strip him down, while beckoning to a gray-haired woman in her fifties. The redhead looked like hell. Hidan noticed, as she began to heal the man while her partner put the curse seal on the kunoichi who fought and struggled angrily against it.

"From now on your names will be Kokoro-" He said pointing to the kunoichi, he turned to the civilian, "Daisuke-" then to the redhead, "Mikio-" finally he turned to Hidan.

"You're a priest aren't you?" He asked him.

"Yes!" Hidan said proudly.

"Then your new name is Paradiso."

Hidan growled at him.

"What are your names slaves?" He asked them.

The civilian was predictably the first to break.

"Daisuke." He said and after he said it, his eyes went blank.

The three shinobi watched warily.

The weakened redhead was next.

"M-Mikio." He said with a pained expression on his face, struggling to mentally fight off whatever it was that was happening.

"Kokoro!" Snarled the kunoichi angrily, she tried to lash out but her body suddenly went limp.

"What happened to them?" Hidan demanded.

"You're a curious little bastard aren't you?" He asked congenially. "Well since you asked so nicely, I'll indulge you. The seals are erasing their old names as we speak. From now on you will be answering to your new names, you'll always remember that your a shinobi but some of our clients are **respectable**-" He said with a scoff, "and can't afford to be seen with S-Rank criminals, especially as sex slaves bought in an underground market."

He smiled smugly at Hidan. "What's your name?"

Hidan remained tight-lipped.

"Answer me slave!"

The ruthless Kumo nin demanded as Hidan struggled to keep his old name and fight back the new name that was implanting itself into every memory!

His resistance caused him physical anguish, which was clearly designed to cause the mind to slip so the jutsu could work it's magic. But Hidan was a Jashinist, so he was able to bear through it better then the others had and Hidan fought it hour after hour. By the time the jutsu had won the battle, Hidan was haggard and exhausted. He fell into a deep sleep and when he woke up, his name was lost to him forever.

The ship pulled into port and the four slaves were brought out into the night air, with curt commands to remain silent. Each of them glared hatefully at their cursed seals as they were moved into a flashy hotel under genjutsu, fed, bathed and pampered.

Paradiso stared sullenly as the medic nin checked him over. Aside from forgetting that he had ever been called by another name and that that name had been stolen by a memory modification jutsu. He certainly remembered everything else, the others stared unhappily at their captors, all experiencing a bitter sense of hazy loss.

For the next year, Paradiso and the others were put through training. They had to learn to act as personal servants, body guards and of course there talents had to be judged and honed in bed play. The kunoichi Kokoro, as well as the civilian Daisuke; who had had a complete memory modification had excelled in bed sport and were sold off quickly. Daisuke was sold to a rich elderly civilian widow in her sixties. Kokoro, unfortunately was sold to Kabuto, she looked so utterly defeated that even Paradiso felt a twinge of pity. She was being used as a subtle example. Nobody defected from Otogakure and escaped unscathed.

The only ones left now were him and Mikio, who was eventually sold to a young Daimyo in Wind Country. The greedy young man demanded to have a trial fuck and Paradiso was led away as the Daimyo bent Mikio over and began thrusting into him ruthlessly.

Finally it was his turn, there was a very large crowd milling around for a look at the gorgeous S-Rank criminal. Paradiso was shocked to see some familiar faces. Among them the Raikage who eyed him wrathfully. He also caught the surprised eyes of Zetsu melting stealthily into a tree.

Zetsu was shocked to see Hidan here on the private auctioning block. He had been sent to this miserable island to find new recruits for the Akatsuki, who was losing members at a rapid pace. His lighter half watched dispassionately, while his darker half took great delight at the priest's humiliated face when they brought him out stark naked.

"Paradiso is my finest catch yet. He's an S-rank criminal in peak condition and as you can all see-" Here the man paused and let out an appreciative laugh, "A fine piece of ass!" The crowd murmured in agreement.

Zetsu narrowed his eyes. "Paradiso?" He wondered. He sent a telepathic communication to Leader, asking him what should be done about Hidan.

"Paradiso has been trained in the arts of guard duty, personal attendant to your every whim and of course he's an excellent lover. He has plenty of fire in him, so he's going to need a strong hand to keep him under control. A shinobi of his caliber is not for the meek-minded. More importantly-" Here the man stopped to turn Hidan around and spreading his cheeks wide apart, much to the darker half of Zetsu's great amusement, "He's got a nice, tight virgin ass!"

Zetsu cocked his head and nodded coldly. Leader was not pleased by Hidan's failure, if there were any other missing nin deemed worthy he was to steal them away. Hidan could rot for all Leader cared.

The bids began and Paradiso could only sit there and seethe in silence, his face impassive and his legs spread wide open so that the buyers could get a better view of his attributes. One woman came up and asked to see his full length, several other woman and a few men stepped up to see for themselves as Paradiso was given a chakra surge to stimulate an erection for the crowds' critical eye. They were instantly appreciative and jostled around him to measure the length and circumference of his cock.

He was taken back stage and he could only wait and hope that the Raikage would be outbid. He may have been immortal but he wasn't immune to serious bodily injury, especially since he would have no choice but to obediently take it. Finally after long hours Paradiso was hesitantly sold to a young girl with fierce blue eyes and long chestnut hair. He trudged along sedately and as they began to board the boat as the genjutsu fell away and the painfully shy Hyuuga heir revealed herself.

Hinata had been sent here, on a recon mission to confirm rumors of a sex slave market that targeted missing nin. She had also been sent to confirm the deeply entrenched involvement of shinobi politics and a group of Kumo nin who captured and sold them as well as the occasional civilian. The very idea that even Konoha's council might be keeping her in the dark about this atrocious practice had made her send Hinata.

Hinata was a lot like a little mouse, she was quiet and gentle and slipped easily into a crowd, observing other people without being detected. Hinata knew who her "slave" was. He was an enemy of Konoha, a psychotic mass murderer, an immortal, and a member of the Akatsuki. _"But no one, not even a criminal deserves to-to live like this." _She told herself. "_Sexually humiliated before a crowd and bought and sold like he was just an object without feelings. He's had a memory modification j-jutsu put on him, as well as a curse s-seal to make him obey every command he's given."_

The trip back to the mainland took five days and Hinata, back under the genjutsu released him from his bonds.

"G-g-g-go on. Your free now."

Paradiso was dumbfounded. He hadn't spoken a single word to her this entire time and she was setting him free?

"Why?" He asked her.

"Because-well-um-because nobody deserves t-to be treated the way you were!"

"Damn straight I don't deserve to be treated like that!" He growled angrily.

He would have to make a new rosary and a new scythe! He was gonna rip that damn Kumo nin a new asshole! As thoughts of revenge flitted through his head he suddenly remembered Zetsu! That fucking cannibal was gonna get a taste of his scythe first!

Hinata shied away from the hate in his eyes as she watched Hidan walk away. She was vastly relieved to be out of his presence and also proud of herself.

Days later Hidan caught a badly burned Zetsu by surprise and pointed his scythe at the injured plant-man. Zetsu was badly injured and out of chakra. He had been left to die and was surprisingly easy prey.

"You fucking son-of-a-bitch!" Paradiso rasped. "Why the fuck did you leave me there? Huh? Answer me you piece of shit!"

He kicked viciously at the Kusa nin who didn't even possess enough strength to flee from the enraged priest. Zetsu was truly frightened. Even if he didn't show it. One of his hands was blackened and withered, he suffered very painful burns which had melted his skin off in some place and his flytrap had caught on fire. His lungs ached as he struggled to breathe from inhaling too much hot smoke. He suffered broken ribs and internal bleeding, he could no longer hear anything at all in his left ear and his eyesight was going fuzzy. He howled in pain as Hidan picked him up and flung him into a tree. He was unable to defend himself when the priest broke his good hand starting with his fingers, then his wrist then his arm.

"I was acting on orders Hidan!" Zetsu told him with quiet honesty.

There was vulnerability in those golden orbs. Zetsu wasn't hiding his emotions as well as he thought.'

Paradiso stilled. "What did you call me?" He asked Zetsu.

Zetsu seemed confused.

"That name? What was it?" He demanded impatiently.

Zetsu wondered if the Jashinist had finally lost his mind. Hidan had always tottered on the very brink of insanity. But Zetsu answered him anyways.

"Hidan. I called you Hidan."

"Why are you calling me Hidan?" He demanded to know.

**"Because it's your name! What else would I call you you stupid prick?" **The darker half of Zetsu, who had been oddly subdued ever since he'd sensed Hidan's chakra, had finally emerged. Paradiso ignored it.

"That's not my name dumb-ass! It's Paradiso!" He snarled angrily.

**"They must have used a Memory Modification Jutsu on you you fool!" **Zetsu snapped.

Paradiso remained wary, unsure if this was a trick or not, but then again he had known Zetsu for a long time so he was probably telling the truth.

"Hidan." He murmured tasting the strange name on his tongue. He looked at Zetsu.

An image flashed through his mind. An image of moon-pale eyes, a sweet, whisper-soft voice and gentle determination.

"Your a lucky bastard!" He grumbled as he turned around and walked away. He smiled and decided that it was high time to teach those Kumo nin a lesson! Later he would come back and finish off Leader. But he would spare Zetsu's life. Today Hidan had been taught an important lesson. Today he had learned about mercy.


	2. A Slender Chain

**A Slender Chain**

_A continuation of Mercy For the Merciless_

_

* * *

_Hidan was grinning widely, it had taken him nearly a year to track down and kill the slaver from Kumo. The sacrifice had been sweet and Jashin's wrath had descended upon the man for defiling His favorite servant. The bastard never even had a chance. He had decided that his next target was that shadow using brat and his little girlfriend!

However, the God had something else in store for Hidan. It was to Jashin's way of thinking that Hidan had committed a sin, impossible situation be damned and Hidan needed a lengthy punishment.

He stalked Konoha's borders and found himself in a fight against her, the shadow user and the girl who had set him free.

"But I buried you!" Shikamaru said going white as a ghost. Hidan smirked at him.

"You can thank your little girlfriend for your death today shithead!" Hidan sneered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Shikamaru asked.

Hidan gestured towards a pale Ino. "That stupid little tramp over there faked my explosion and sold me to a slaver! Isn't that right princess?"

"Ino! Is this true?" Shikamaru asked.

"Shikamaru. I'm so sorry, I didn't think he'd ever escape-please! Ino begged.

Hidan was behind Ino in a flash and he took his scythe and cut upwards through her body, splicing her almost in half before Hinata who had just arrived with her team shouted,

"Stop!"

Hidan found his muscles reacting against his will and he stopped Ino's grisly mutilation. He cursed angrily when he remembered that once he had been passed over to his owner that they would have complete control over him till the day they died! Because the curse mark could only be held by one person at a time.

Hinata hadn't realized that the curse mark was still in play until she saw that poisonous blue chakra reacting to her chakra signature, surging around him and halting his muscles and brain activity. It was not unlike the Hyuuga's curse mark she realized. She bowed her head, refusing to look the stunned Shikamaru in the eye.

Two hours later, Hidan had been forced to follow in her footsteps like an obedient dog all the way up to the Hokage tower. She explained everything and told The Hokage that she would take any punishment that she deserved.

Tsunade the fierce old lioness that she was, was hesitant about putting Hinata in death row for her crime. She would be torn apart in less then a few minutes. She was also deeply disappointed in the girl. Hinata really was too soft-hearted for her own good. However she was beginning to see an opportunity to hit two birds with one stone. If he could be commanded, she reasoned to herself, he could be the death blow to Akatsuki, if she put Hinata in charge of him, then she could help Hinata at the same time and punish her for her crime against Konoha. Trouble was, Hinata hadn't changed much, she had a little more confidence in her abilities but she was still shy and had a problem standing up for herself. Tsunade wondered briefly if she could handle this type of enormous responsibility.

"Hinata. I can't believe that you'd do this! This is not the type of behavior I would expect from you of all people!" Her harsh voice alone was enough to make the girl wilt.

Hinata bowed her head.

"Command him to wait outside!" She snapped, gesturing towards Hidan who had quickly gotten on her nerves with his brash insults and loud voice. She was disturbed that he reminded her of Naruto…in a gut-wrenching sort of way.

"Hidan-" She began.

"What? You're going to take a brow-beating from this old bitch? Show a little backbone and tell her to go fuck off!" Hidan said, pushing her forward.

Hinata winced at his choice of words and she showed some backbone. Just not in the way Hidan expected.

"Hidan, please go outside and w-wait for m-me and don't cause any trouble."

Tsunade smiled inwardly. She had a feeling that Hinata would do just fine.

Hidan felt his body moving towards the door and sitting down quietly with a mulish expression on his face. He was going to kill her as soon as he had the chance! He could hear the angry mutterings just behind the solid oak doors as Hinata was being heartily berated.

When she emerged, both were made to wait under ANBU guard as Tsunade called a council meeting.

Tsunade was glad that Danzou had died last year, he would have complicated things. There were also new village elders who had taken the places of Koharu and Homura after they had passed away

Lord Hiashi was not pleased. "She's done what?" He asked.

"Why call council when you know what her punishment is going to be?" Asked the Head of the Aburame clan calmly.

"Because I think that this event is going to turn the tides of battle against Akatsuki." Tsunade proclaimed.

"Explain." Prompted the Head of the Akimichi clan.

"We all know that Akatsuki has taken on powerful new members and are back to full strength."

"What does that have to do with the Akatsuki captive?" Asked the Civilian Representative.

"He has had a curse seal placed on him when he was sold into that elusive shinobi slave ring. One that makes him do whatever his "master" wants. That way the slavers ensure the safety of the buyers and keeps the slaves from running away. We could easily make him tell us everything he knows about Akatsuki, make him fight for us, he's our ticket to victory."

There was murmuring as the council deliberated this astonishing and fortunate piece of news.

"And just who is his master?" Asked the Head of the Nara finally after he had carefully turned over every piece of information in his mind.

Tsunade braced herself. Getting them to accept that he could be commanded to do anything they needed him to do would be easy, getting them to accept who his master was would be extremely difficult.

"Hinata Hyuuga."

As she expected there was an instant uproar.

"What? The girl's too soft and weak-minded. Even if she has control, there's no way she can control him!" Shouted one person,

"This is outrageous!" Shouted another.

"This is mostly her fault anyways! Hers and the Yamanaka girl!"

"Which is exactly why she will be in charge of the Akatsuki prisoner." Explained Tsunade. "Setting him free instead of taking him prisoner is her crime and she must pay for it no matter how benevolent she may have thought her actions were."

"What's to stop her from setting him free again?" Asked the Civilian Representative.

"She is willing to accept whatever punishment she deserves and this is what she will be forced to do." Tsunade argued.

"Lady Hokage this is an act of madness!" Cried out the Head of the Akimichi and the arguments began again.

All through the shouting, The Nara had sat silently by thinking about everything he had just heard. Like the others, he believed that it was troublesome that of all the people to have control of him, it had to be Hinata Hyuuga. He liked Hinata, it was difficult not too. She was sweet and quiet and selfless to a fault but he honestly didn't think that she could handle someone like Hidan day in and day out. Still he could see why the Hokage wanted her to do it and he personally would rather not see her executed. It would be like a lifelong act of community service. He thought, lips lifting in amusement.

"I propose a trial period as well as house arrest." The Nara said, stopping everyone in their tracks.

Lord Hiashi did not look pleased with the Nara's suggestion.

"With the rest of the Hyuuga clan there to oversee this trial period and to make sure that the prisoner does not escape or be set free, we will be able to test Hinata Hyuuga's ability to control the prisoner. If she is unfit for this responsibility, ownership will immediately be passed onto a more capable shinobi and Hinata Hyuuga will be imprisoned for her crime until her execution date."

There was murmuring as the council carefully considered, the idea did hold merit. Fortunately for the Hyuuga Heiress, she was well liked by most of them and privately few wished to see her executed though they would do it anyways.

"Hypothetically, if we were to allow a trial period how long would this observation time last?" Asked Elder Chihiro, who was Koharu's daughter.

"Several months?" Suggested the Head of the Fujin clan

"With the threat of Akatsuki we don't have that much time." Said Tsunade.

"Agreed." Said the Head of the Inuzuka clan.

"But we have to give her a decent amount of time." The Nara said.

"They could show up on our doorstep any day, especially if wind of _him _being here gets out." Said the Leader of the ANBU. "If they have any idea about what that curse seal is capable of they'll know that he's sharing Akatsuki secrets and the village will be under attack! She should be executed immediately and given over to someone else, keeping him locked up and out of sight so that news won't spread."

"I agree." Said Elder Tsuberu. "Word travels fast. This should be S-Rank information, keeping it hush-hush is the best course of action until the time is right,"

"What about one week?" Suggested the Head of the Aburame clan.

Everyone fell silent for a few brief moments.

"That seems like an adequate amount of time." Said The Akimichi head thoughtfully.

"They both should be in house arrest for an even longer period though." Said the Head of the Aburame clan.

There was nearly mutual consent all around at that suggestion. The only one who showed displeasure at the idea was Hiashi Hyuuga.

"If Hinata succeeds and we end up winning this battle, what in the hell are we going to do with _him_?" Asked the Head of the Inuzuka.

"Throw his ass in prison!" Demanded the Head of the Hama clan.

"He's too dangerous! We'd have no control over him then! The curse seal can only be passed onto one person at a time. One prison guard can't stay with him at every moment." Argued the ANBU Leader.

"Then throw her ass in there with him too!" Retorted the Hama clan's Head.

"Well where's the sense in that if she's already paying her debt to Konoha?" Asked the Head of the Akimichi.

"How the hell is she going to continue paying for her crime once Akatsuki's defeated?" Snapped the Head of the Fujin clan. "She's committed a serious act of treachery!"

"Because if she succeeds, she'll be forced to continue having control of him until the day she dies." Explained the Head of the Nara.

"In case you've forgotten, he can't die." Growled the ANBU leader.

"But he can be permanently incapacitated." Said the Aburame.

"Why not just do that after Akatsuki's been defeated?" Suggested Elder Tsuberu.

"Because Hinata would be let off pretty easy." Tsunade said.

"I'd say you're letting her off pretty easily now Lady Hokage." Grumbled the Head of the Hama clan.

Tsunade's eyes flashed angrily at the blatant disrespect in Yuuyake Hama's tone.

"Enough of this!" Snapped Elder Tsuberu who eyed the clock wearily. "It is time for the council to vote. All those against Hinata Hyuuga's trial period and house arrest?"

A little less then half of the hands went up.

"All those in favor of Hinata Hyuuga's trial period and house arrest?" Elder Tsuberu said.

Roughly half the hands went up

Tsunade was relieved. It had been a near thing.

"It has been decided." Said Elder Chihiro, nodding to the scribe. "Bring the traitor in."

Hinata Hyuuga was brought in, sleepy-eyed and frightened, flinching as she waited for her punishment. Though she wasn't sure why it had taken so long, or why the Hokage had called council.

"Hinata Hyuuga." Said the Hokage. "You have committed a serious act of treachery against Konohagakure! You know that the punishment for this crime is imprisonment until the day of execution. However…"

Hinata looked up.

"In its wisdom, the council has decided to be merciful and momentarily suspend your punishment, where you will be given exactly one week from today to show that you can control the S-Rank Akatsuki criminal Hidan. You will both be on house arrest for an indeterminate amount of time and one member of the Hyuuga clan will be bringing us the report at the end of the week. If you are successful you will extract information concerning the Akatsuki Organization and will command him to fight against them until they have been destroyed and you will continue to pay your debt to Konoha by keeping him under your control for the rest of your life. If you are unsuccessful at controlling the S-Rank Akatsuki criminal after one week from today, then he will be given to a more capable shinobi and you will be imprisoned on Death Row until your execution date." Her words were harsh and full of finality.

Hinata had not expected this. She understood that the council's decision had been based on necessity rather then mercy. But she was grateful none-the-less for the small reprieve.

"I understand and I will not give the council cause for regret for its wisdom and mercy." She said.

"For your sake Ms. Hyuuga I hope not." Said the Head of the Fujin clan testily.

Hinata, Hidan and the ANBU guards walked away as the council members began filing out.

"Lord Hyuuga I want a word with you." Said Tsunade.

Hiashi turned around. "Yes Lady Hokage?"

"I understand that you are deeply disappointed in your heir." She began.

That was a vast understatement. He thought.

"And while the hierarchy of your clan is your responsibility, I had better not see the cursed seal on that girl otherwise I will assume that you are interfering."

"Understood Lady Hokage." He said.

"Tomorrow I will also be choosing the person who will observe Hinata's interactions with the Akatsuki member"

Hiashi's face was impassive, though he was thoroughly displeased at having yet another thing taken out of his hands, but orders were orders and he was not, unlike his daughter, a traitor to Konoha. He gave a curt nod to show that he understood and left.

Hidan eyed the large, yet overly feminine room he was going to be sharing with _her _in disgust_. _

_"_I refuse to sleep on the floor. I'm not your fucken pet you know! So you might as well gimme the bed."

Hinata took a deep breath, reminding herself of her nindo.

"I had n-no intention of making you sleep on the floor, we're going to g-get a sp-spare cot for you."

That saying, she walked out of the room and Hidan was forced to help her get a cot and gather some sheets. When she had finished making his bed, she took off her sandals, shut off the lights and stared at the ceiling. Silence reigned in the room before Hidan finally said.

"What am I sposed to do about my sacrifices?" He demanded.

"Sacrifices?" Said Hinata, who had been jolted awake by the sound of his voice.

"To Jashin-sama! I have a monthly quota you know?" He said angrily. Though to be honest, he'd more then fulfilled his quota to appease his God in the last year. Probably enough to satisfy the quota for the next two years. Though he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that!

That's right! She'd forgotten that he was a Jashinist.

Her next answer surprised him.

"Fourteen."

"What?" He asked.

"Y-y-y-you have to sacrifice at least fourteen people every month to appease Jashin. However, you'll j-just have to make do with your o-own b-b-body until we start getting sent out on missions."

Hidan gaped. "How do you know that?"

Hinata had once read a forbidden book about Jashin when she was twelve and she had been absolutely terrified of both the God and his followers. Though she wasn't going to say _that_ to Hidan.

"I once read a book about Jashin when I was twelve." She said.

"What was the book called?" He asked.

"The Lord of Death by the High Priest Shirotenshi."

Hidan was even more astounded! He had first read the book when he was eleven years old and here was little-miss-goody-two-shoes announcing that she had read the same fucking thing!

He pondered this new knowledge as he began to drift to sleep. Well it wouldn't be hard for him to control little-miss-goody-two-shoes so he didn't have to worry about making his monthly quotas.

Junigatsu Hyuuga had been summoned to the Hokage's tower early the next morning. She waited patiently until Shizune opened the door and beckoned her into the room.

"ANBU Kirin. Remove your mask. "

She removed her mask.

"Junigatsu Hyuuga, I have a mission for you. Your cousin Hinata Hyuuga is being punished for an act of treachery against Konoha." Lady Hokage said.

Junigatsu didn't bother to hide her shock. This was certainly news to her and absolutely unbelievable! Hearing that Hinata had committed an act of treason was about as believable as seeing water being set on fire!

The Hokage quickly explained the situation and for some strange reason, Junigatsu relaxed when she realized the situation wasn't as bad as it sounded. If that made any sense.

"You will be momentarily relieved of your ANBU duties for one week to observe the interactions between Hinata and Hidan. I would also prefer you not to reveal that you're the person observing them to anyone." The Hokage said. "As far as they're concerned, you are on a two week vacation."

Junigatsu nodded. "Yes Lady Hokage."

She understood why she was being recruited for this mission. The Hokage wanted a fair and unbiased report, something most of her relatives, who despised the young heiress, would not do.

Hidan was lost in that sweet beautiful world where it was just him and his God. As he was pulled deeper into his ritual, he began to feel Jashin-sama's power closing in on him like blackness surrounding a star.

"HIDAN. YOU HAVE SINNED AGAINST ME IN YOUR CARNAL KNOWLEDGE."

Hidan winced, there was no point in hiding anything from Jashin. There had been times when he had actually enjoyed the new and pleasurable sensations that sex could bring when he had been in training with that damn slaver. That alone could have him ousted from the Sacred Order of Jashinists!

"I HAVE BEEN APPEASED BY YOUR SACRIFICES, BUT NOT PLEASED ENOUGH. YOU ARE GOING TO ENDURE A LENGTHY PUNISHMENT UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE."

"Yes Jashin-sama." Said Hidan, as meekly as he could ever be, while he waited for his God's judgment.

"YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE ENDURED WITH HER."

Hidan seemed confused and Jashin was again reminded that he had to be very straightforward with his most prized, devout, but…thickheaded priest.

A face appeared in front of Hidan and he realized that his punishment was supposed to be served with little-miss-fucking-goody-two-shoes herself!

"Yes Jashin-sama." He said humbly.

Hinata woke up to see that her roommate was lying on the floor, with a pike in his chest, a kunai in his throat and weapons in various other places and that he was as naked as a newborn. This gave her a moment to study him, so she activated her Byakugan and stared deep into his body, watching in fascination as a supply of blood, cells and chakra replenished itself continuously, being deposited in pockets until it was needed, then flowing to the correct area to repeatedly heal his body. Looking deeper still she also found strange chords and bonds that rippled golden and solid and attached themselves to him. Hinata wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew that it would take a truly unearthly force to rip that soul from the body and when it did the pain would be excruciating.

And perhaps the most astonishing thing of all was that he seemed very handsome in this state. With that shock of white hair against black skin, a chiseled handsome face which was as expressive as Naruto's and his body…before she could continue with that train of thought she blushed brightly and banished the treacherous thoughts from her mind. Just in time to see a pair of amethyst eyes snap open and look directly at her.

The spray of scalding water hit Hidan as he cleansed the blood from his body. He felt that like miss goody-two-shoes, he was being let off relatively easy, though he couldn't quite fathom why being stuck with her was supposed to be a punishment, he had also decided it was better not to ask. Jashin was already displeased with him and it would take a long ass time to get back into his good graces without stupid and unnecessary questions.

Hinata wasn't the only one who dreaded coming down to breakfast. Lord Hiashi wasn't exactly eager to come down and eat with the family either.

Hinata sighed, they were unpleasant enough when she had been branded a useless failure, and they were going to be unbearable now that she was a traitor. Stony glares met her and her charge as they walked down the stairs.

Hidan, having lived with the likes of high and mighty bastards like Leader and Itachi Uchiha was used to this behavior and decided to see what would happen if he grabbed a hold of the stick up their asses and set it on fire.

Protocol was expected of her, even in her disgraced state so she bowed to her father and the other members of her family. Her younger sister eyed her with slight disgust and eyed Hidan with a mix of curiosity and fascination. Her younger sister had never been branded with the Hyuuga's cursed seal as it had recently become custom for the Head of the Main household to have more then one child in reserve just in case. Hinata knew that Hanabi would be taking over the reigns soon and was glad. Her sister would make a much better leader then she would anyways.

"Is there a reason you aren't wearing a shirt at the table Hidan?" Lord Hiashi asked him.

Hidan gave a small smirk.

"Why? You can't keep your eyes off me?"

Not even Hiashi could hold back a blush of embarrassment and anger at the crude insinuation.

Hinata lowered her head and began to eat quickly.

"Maybe Hinata can explain why he's not wearing a shirt." Snickered Hanabi.

Now it was Hinata's turn to blush. But she answered in a far steadier voice then she expected.

"It is a part of his religion not to wear a shirt."

Noticing the fanatical gleam in his eye the members of the main household thought it best not to comment. Well most of them thought it best. Hanabi, who had an antagonistic streak prodded.

"Why is that Hinata?"

Ever tactful Hinata stopped to think for a moment. Answer for him and he would blow up. Allow him to answer and they all would blow up in each other's faces, either way, she realized, she could not prevent a negative outcome. Fortunately she was momentarily spared of making the decision when her cousin, Junigatsu Hyuuga trudged wearily through the door.

"Junigatsu-san." Lord Hyuuga said by way of greeting.

"Lord Hyuuga." She said. Her eyes roving around she feigned surprise to see the S-Rank criminal sitting at the breakfast table. Well, it wasn't completely feigned. She certainly wasn't expecting to see Konoha's newest prisoner at her table. The foul-mouthed, antagonistic man would certainly provide, for perhaps the first time, an amusing meal at the family table and from the looks of things he was already getting under their skin.

She put away her gear and came downstairs to eat. She didn't have to listen hard to hear the argument going on downstairs.

"I do not appreciate that kind of language in my household!" Lord Hiashi was shouting in cold fury.

"I don't really give a shit what you think!" Hidan snapped gleefully.

"Hidan please-" Hinata began.

"You will wear shirts at my table!" Lord Hiashi growled.

"Father I don't think-" Hinata tried again.

"Be quiet Hinata! This is all your fault anyways." Countered Hanabi smugly.

"Y-yes I know Hanabi."

"She's right it is all your damn fault." Hidan said, every bit as smugly as Hanabi had.

"Well-" She began.

"Shut up Hinata!" Both men roared.

Hinata had her hand over her face and bit her lip. She knew breakfast wouldn't go well today, but she had not expected it to turn into this kind of chaos.

Junigatsu sighed, her cousin was rapidly losing control of the situation. She was trying to speak but couldn't be heard because the shouting (which was an almost non-existent thing in the Hyuuga household) was escalating. Finally with a determined look on her face Hinata leaned in to say something in Hidan's ear. He shut up grudgingly. She picked up her plate and faced her flustered and uncomfortable family.

"I apologize for the strife I have caused at the table this morning. Please excuse us."

She bowed to them and beckoned for Hidan to do follow her, sighing she picked up his plate of food as the man got up and the two of them made their way out of the dining room.

Junigatsu raised an eyebrow. This would be a most interesting mission.

"Why are you apologizing little miss goody two shoes?" Hidan snapped irritably. "Why don't you grow a fucking backbone like I told you too?"

Hinata took a deep breath as they sat in the tiny kitchen. "Because it is my fault that you are here."

"You regret setting me free already little-miss-goody-two-shoes?" He grumbled through a mouthful of food.

"No." She said.

"Don't lie. Cause you suck at it. Seriously."

She picked up her chopsticks. "Do you regret it?" She asked.

"Is that a fucken trick question?" He asked, taking juvenile satisfaction when she winced at his words. "Let's see! I could have been taking it up the asshole for the rest of my life if your pitiful ass hadn't come along. It was a really stupid thing setting me free. But I'm sure glad you were stupid enough too do it."

_"And you're ungrateful." _Thought Hinata angrily. Instead she began eating, hoping for at least a silent meal. But she was soon to find out that with Hidan, there was no such thing as peace and quiet.

"Hey! Hey what the fuck is up with your family? Do they all have sticks up their asses?" He prodded, trying to get her to explode with anger. Though Hidan was going to find out that Hinata was simply incapable of such a thing.

"Hidan…" She began, then shook her head.

"Spit it out goody-two-shoes!"

"Would you like to train with me today?" She asked him.

"What? I'm a fucking prisoner in your fucking house and you want to know if I want to train?" Hidan asked incredulously. "What is this? Hotel Hyuuga?" He scratched his head unable to understand her confusing behavior.

"I-well I just thought that maybe…umm…" She began and then trailed off, feeling more and more like the awkward Genin she used to be. "That…well since we're going to be fighting t-together that we should start learning each others-"

Hidan was getting impatient with her speech patterns and quickly cut her off.

"Yeah sure I guess." At least it would relieve some of his tension.

After breakfast, Hinata began recording all the information that the Akatsuki knew. Unfortunately for her, the information was outdated and would be of little help to Konoha and its allies. When they were finished with the long session, it was almost three o clock in the afternoon.

They were about to go into one of the main dojos when she was summoned by her father.

"Hinata Hyuuga. I am sure that you know why you are here." He asked coldly.

"Yes father." She said.

"You know that I cannot allow a traitor to become the clan's head." He said.

Fear of being branded-like Neji-like Hidan-suddenly caught a hold of her, though she knew in her heart of hearts that they had all been planning this for a long time. Beside her, Hidan was quiet.

In a shaky voice, she whispered. "I know father."

He stared long and hard at her for a moment. He was not surprised to see that she knew that this had been coming even before her betrayal.

"I am naming Hanabi as my heir and though custom dictates that you should be branded with the cursed seal, the council has forbidden my doing so in the belief that we would be interfering in your trial period."

Hinata nodded, knowing that there relief was shining from her eyes and she did not care who saw it.

It was not the first time Hiashi Hyuuga had seen Fate favoring his eldest daughter. Fate seemed to favor her more then all of his clan put together. She was weak. Incredibly weak. At first he had been mildly surprised that a stronger shinobi hadn't picked her off before now, until he realized that the Hand of Fate was shielding her from the worst of life. Her gentle spirit was not meant to live the macabre, brutal life of a shinobi. There had been many times when he had seriously considered sending her away to live a mostly normal civilian life. But he knew that the council would never allow an untrained Byakugan wielder to run around, ripe for the plucking of shinobi who sought to gain the secrets of a powerful bloodline for themselves. And yet, here it was, the Hand of Fate shielding her yet again from the worst that life could inflict. His attention turned towards the newfound bane of his existence. He…despised the missing nin that had been foisted upon him by the slightly desperate council. He didn't have to look hard at all to see the insanity shining from his eyes. The man was clearly deranged. A psychopath. Hiashi had seen enough of them to know. He had challenged his authority twice in front of his clan. Something that was unforgivable in the eyes of a Hyuuga. As if on cue the monstrosity spoke.

"Hey miss-goody-two-shoes! You gonna give up your throne so easily?" He jeered.

Hinata looked at him and replied. "It was n-never really my throne to begin with."

"Wow. You're an even bigger pussy then I thought." He remarked casually.

"You will show respect to your captor." He stated coldly, not so much for Hinata's sake, but because here, in front of the clan elders, he felt that he could not allow her to muddy the Hyuuga name further by allowing his scathing remarks.

Hidan put an arm around Hinata as though they were old friends.

"Aww. Don't act like that Papa Hyuuga." He said mockingly, watching the man bristle. "Your darling Hina-chan and I are joined at the hips now."

He thrust his groin hard into Hinata's backside, reveling in their shocked gasps, his voice creaking and rising as mad laughter spilled from his lips. Really these people were just too easy to rattle!

Hinata blushed furiously and ducked her head as Hidan sipped on the energy of her mental anguish the way a hummingbird sipped nectar from a flower.

Lord Hiashi turned a shade of red that Hinata didn't even know he was capable of turning. In all her years, she had never seen him as furious as he was now.

The only thing that kept his rage in check was the fact that he knew his daughter. He knew she was not the kind to have an affair with the likes of an enemy, even her betrayal was typical of her compassionate behavior. So why did Fate continue to protect her? He wondered for the umpteenth time as he fixed the man with a hateful stare-the man who was holding her in an intimate lover's grip, designed to humiliate her. The one she could have broken out of easily, but didn't because she was in shock. He got a better grip on his anger and told them both heatedly that they were dismissed.

Hinata slipped away from him then and marched out the door in mute misery.

Hidan's mad laughter following in her wake. The elders all sent pitying glances her way and shook their heads disgustedly.

They stood in the dojo, Hinata taking on the Hyuuga fighting stance.

Hidan looked at her stance and laughed.

"What the hell is that?" He asked mockingly. "I could knock you over with a feather the way you're holding yourself."

A small frisson of anger worked its way into her system. She was fully aware at just how Hidan had made her look in front of the elders and worse-her father! Now they all thought that she was a…she banished the thought and instead asked.

"Are you r-r-ready?"

A psychotic smile bloomed slowly on his face and he rushed her, letting her know that he had no intention of holding back. A few well-placed kicks to her chest and stomach left her winded and he figured that she was easy prey. So he was surprised when one of her weak punches stopped the chakra flow. No matter, he could still fight. The two began a furious Taijutsu battle, though this time he kept a slightly more respectful distance between him and her flat palms or jabbing fingers. She got him again in his thigh and he felt actually felt his chakra pathways being blocked. It was a strange feeling and he wondered what would happen if she blocked all his points. Would it be enough for someone to actually kill him when his continuous supply of healing chakra stopped? He was suddenly intrigued and perhaps a little unnerved at the prospect.

She needed another dose of humiliation. So in one quick move, he sidestepped her blow and pinned her to the ground. The position was sexual, but for Hidan he was not aroused in the least. He had been reconditioning himself to shut off those kinds of feelings, though sometimes deep in the night, he still felt ghostly vestiges of blazing passion. Grinding his hips into her in a suggestive manner, he remembered how good it felt to kill one of the courtesans that had been in charge of his sexual training. It had been the one sacrifice he been able to make when he had been under the slaver's command.

The memories caused his hands to tighten around the slender column of her pale throat and he smiled down at her, seeing coppery red locks instead of raven hair, terrified blue eyes in place of pale pearls, pearls that were turning bloodshot as he choked the life out of her. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood before biting hers in a brutal imitation of a kiss-he didn't even realize that he was entering his cursed state as he panted heavily, intent on killing the girl beneath him. Hidan, prized priest of Jashin, personification of Death on earth, more so then any shinobi who could barely pass themselves off as pale imitations of Death was going to deliver the girl straight into Jashin's open arms.

It was Jashin himself who spoke and stopped his priest from delivering the final blow.

"ENOUGH HIDAN!"

As subservient and meek as she'd ever seen, he inclined his head in a respectful bow and got off of her.

Hinata stood up, shaking violently and drawing in deep breaths. They had been doing fine a moment ago until he snapped for some reason. She began walking out the door, beckoning Hidan to follow her. She realized that there was no escape from him.

Junigatsu sighed. It was her first day on the job and Hinata was not doing well.

She ate dinner in the kitchen, barely listening to Hidan as he delivered one of his terrifying sermons, she was so lost in her own world that she didn't even notice the strange face peeking out from the wood-grains in the kitchen floor. After dinner she and Hidan trudged upstairs, relieved to escape this miserable day.


	3. The Road of Trials Part One

**The Road of Trials **

**Part One**

_A continuation of A Slender Chain_

_

* * *

_Hidan was almost asleep when he heard Leader's voice in his mind.

"Hidan, we'll be coming to release you from captivity soon."

"The fuck you are! I'm not coming back to Akatsuki! You lost your chance the day you left me to become some horny old lady's pretty pet! You could have had me back then but instead I ended up getting rescued by some goody-two-shoes from fucking Konoha!" He spat angrily.

Pein refrained from sighing. "If you stay there you'll just end up being the Hokage's pretty pet anyways."

"Yeah? And if I go back to Akatsuki you assholes would make me cut off my dick and shove it up my nose for your enjoyment and I couldn't do a goddamn thing to stop you!" That was when Hidan mentally kicked himself. They weren't supposed to know about his curse seal!

"We already know about your little problem." Pein said flatly, holding back his amusement at the mental image Hidan had created for him. "I believe I can help you with it. Though you need to break away from your master soon, because every hour you stay with them, the seal's bonding jutsu becomes stronger and more difficult to release."

Hidan had to stop and think for a moment, Leader's promise of what he could do to block off most of the seal's effects were solid. But it all depended on **if **he would do it. No! Fuck that! They had left him to become someone's sex slave and at least he knew Hinata would always treat him decently.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of what I might be telling Konoha?" He taunted.

This time Pein did sigh, wondering why he was arguing with him. He'd known from years of experience that arguing with Hidan was a waste of time. "You really don't know anything worth telling. Your information is old news and when it comes to gathering valuable information we both know its not your strong suit. Besides we've known you were in Konoha since this morning and that your master is Hinata Hyuuga. Keeping secrets obviously isn't your strong suit either, even when you don't open your mouth." He had no problem pulling out this card early.

Hidan swore under his breath. How could he have forgotten about Akatsuki's superior network of spies?

"_So then why the fuck do you want me back after two years?" _Hidan wondered but decided to say instead. "Sorry dickhead but I've got orders from someone way the fuck higher then you that I need to stay put with miss goody two shoes and just remember you pompous asshole that the next time you see me will be when the true God passes judgment on you! Ta fucker!" Hidan said smugly.

Pein considered for a moment before saying, "Then consider yourself an enemy of the Akatsuki."

That was the last Hidan heard from him.

The next day went by in a boring blur for Hidan, who was beginning to go stir crazy in Hotel Hyuuga. He didn't get to have any amusement till dinnertime rolled around.

Lord Hiashi had not seen his daughter or _that man_ since Hinata had been formally denounced. Walking into the kitchen he came upon Hinata who was beginning to gather ingredients for their dinner and _that man _delivering one of his fervent religious speeches.

"Hinata." He said.

She stood up immediately.

"Hiding in the kitchen at meal time is not going to impress the council." He said sternly.

"Yes father. You are correct." Though she seemed confused as to why he was offering her his wisdom.

Hidan got up and followed her into the dining room. He noticed that the relaxed atmosphere suddenly turned tense at his arrival. This was gonna be fun. At first Hidan stayed silent, then he elbowed Hinata hard in the ribs.

"Hinata." He announced grandly, clasping her hand as though he were getting ready to make a toast, "You are the most gutless wonder I've ever had the pleasure of meeting!"

The rest of the clan turned unsmilingly towards him.

"Seriously! You should have fucking seen her yesterday! I was squeezing the life outta the bitch and she couldn't even push me offa her!" This was said with false affection as though it were a joke between them. "I personally think she enjoyed it. Some sick fucks are like that you know? They get off by being strangled and shit. How about it Hina-chan? Are you secretly one of those kinky ass people who get off on pain?"

Hinata looked mortified and slunk down in her seat.

"No." She whispered,

"Aww don't lie Hina-chan! You know you liked it!" He said as though she were being modest.

Hinata realized that she was not doing herself any favors by allowing this. With a deep breath she sat ramrod straight in her seat and said in a quiet reproachful voice,

"Hidan if you can't s-say something nice during a meal, then please keep your comments to yourself." Her big eyes were shimmering with hurt and humiliation.

Junigatsu nodded to herself. It wasn't perfect but it was a start.

The next morning Hinata and Hidan grabbed an early breakfast and were heading to a small dojo when Hanabi appeared.

"Ah g-good morning Hanabi." Hinata said politely, wondering what her younger sister wanted.

"Out for an early morning spar Hinata?" She asked.

"Yes I thought that since Hidan and I w-were going to be-" Hinata began but was quickly cut off.

"Sorry you'll have to wait your turn. Father wants us to practice today." She said turning to Hidan and not sounding the least bit sorry.

"Ah. I-I see. What are we doing today Hanabi?"

"He wants me to perfect the 64 Palms." She said flatly.

"We will spar next Hidan." Hinata said as they walked into the dojo where Lord Hiashi and another elder were waiting in the bright morning sunshine.

Hidan watched both girls take those strange flimsy stances and then they began. It was about ten minutes into the fight when Hidan realized that miss fucking goody two shoes had undergone a transformation right before his eyes. She was faster, graceful and more sure of herself then when they had sparred the other day. Amazing. Little-miss-goody-two-shoes had actually transformed from the proverbial ugly duckling into a graceful swan. He turned to study the younger sister and what he saw sent a rush of adrenaline through him, she was an aggressive and passionate fighter, with all the grace and polish of little-miss-goody-two-shoes and all the fire of a natural-born warrior. It was the same kind of fighter he was.

Hanabi Hyuuga outshone the weak, pale Hinata who seemed more like she belonged in a ballet then she did on a battlefield. Killing Hanabi would be a fucking rush! Jashin would be pleased with a little spitfire like her! He'd make her death especially painful. He suddenly felt disgusted at the thought of killing Hinata, she would pose no real challenge to him, since swans were sissy birds who had no place on the battlefield!

And if Hinata was a swan, then what had Kakuzu been? A big ass ugly vulture that's what! A creature profiting off the corpses of others and if Kakuzu had been a vulture and Hinata a swan then what did that make him? Bored and retarded as hell to be comparing people to bloody birds! Seriously? What was wrong with him today? His thoughts were beginning to get fucking weird…or some shit! Ugh!

"Prisoner." Said Hisao Hyuuga when the two of them had finished.

"My name's Hidan shit-face! Use it!" Hidan growled

"We're going to spar." Hisao said calmly, stepping into the Hyuuga

"Gladly." Said Hidan and he rushed the man who sidestepped his blow easily.

Hisao Hyuuga had activated the Byakugan and there was something he wanted to see and when the time was right he hit the man with such force that it would cause any normal person's lungs and heart to fail simultaneously.

Hidan choked and sputtered, his heart stopped and he began coughing up blood. His lungs collapsed, but a look of black rage had crossed his features as he staggered to his feet, while three sets of Byakugan watched his body's internal organs right themselves with fascination and then Hisao Hyuuga started walking away. His mind was working furiously as he considered new possibilities.

Hidan was furious as he stalked out after a visibly upset Hinata. He had known that she knew how to control his pressure points and how to halt his chakra flow. He did not know that these damned Hyuuga could cause damage to his internal organs. As far as Hidan was concerned someone needed to pay and since that asshole would have to wait, Hinata would have to do. He grabbed her arm and started applying pressure to it.

Hinata winced painfully, feeling her bone creaking in his vicious grip.

"S-stop it H-Hidan! You're going to break my arm!" She hissed rubbing her arm as he stepped away.

Hidan let her go, though her command only made him angrier and, he reasoned, she had told him to stop breaking her arm, not stop attacking and so in one swift movement he shoved her against the wall and forced his arm across his throat, taking little pleasure in her struggle to free herself.

"You are _not _my master Hinata!" He growled, "Only Jashin-sama is! Don't you ever fucking forget that!"

Hinata thrashed in his cruel grip as black spots began to dance in her vision, raising one hand she managed to force her chakra through her fingertips and attacked his not quite healed lungs for the second time in less then ten minutes.

Neji Hyuuga had just returned from a mission when he saw something that contorted his impassive face into one of shock. An Akatsuki member was inside the Hyuuga complex and the Akatsuki and his cousin were both slumped on the floor, gasping for breath.

Hidan was now coughing up copious amounts of blood while trying desperately to fill his lungs with air. Dammit! Just because he couldn't die didn't mean that it didn't hurt like a bitch! He turned towards the source of his rage

"You fucking bitch!" He wheezed, alongside another gob of blood on the floor. "One of these days I'm gonna gouge out those pretty white eyes of yours and pop them in my mouth like grapes! Where the fuck do you get off attacking me?" He demanded, still trying to breathe right and fuck it hurt so much just to breathe!

A dozen angry responses flashed through Hinata's mind but they never made it past her lips, she was sure that to outsiders it may have looked like he'd cowed her, but she knew that he was trying to force a reaction from her and she would not give him one. It was as simple as that. For no reason she could understand, she grabbed Hidan's hand and with one good yank helped the man to his feet.

"I'm tired Hidan." She said, her voice sounded brittle and bitter, eliciting a look of surprise from the violent priest.

He shoved him off her and swayed dizzily from the lack of oxygen.

"Hinata. What is an enemy ninja doing in the complex?" Neji demanded, concern shading his voice just enough for his cousin to hear.

Still breathing deeply, Hinata replied. "I'm sorry Neji but you'll have to ask my father."

Upset, Neji turned to go report in to Lord Hyuuga, but was informed that he had already left for a meeting at the Hokage Tower. "_What in the world is going on?" _He wondered as he went back towards Hinata's room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Came the distressed voice of his cousin.

He walked in to find Hinata busily scrubbing blood stains off the wooden floor. She seemed anxious and angry and her dainty face was set into a scowl, something he hadn't seen for a long time. Neji suddenly realized that the shower was going and he was about to ask Hinata about it, when his question was answered in the form of Hidan coming out of the bathroom. Neji's eyes went impossibly wide when he saw a member of one of Konoha's greatest threats standing stark naked in his cousin's room as if he owned the place.

The shower had put him in a much calmer mood since the water and steam had always been therapeutic for Hidan. He had contemplated spending a couple hours in it when he'd heard a noise, so he went out to investigate.

"Hey Hina-chan!" He said in concern as though he hadn't attacked her minutes before. "Is this guy bothering you?"

Hinata looked up only to find herself face-to-face with his-a bright blush spread across her cheeks and she chose to look at the floor she was scrubbing.

"No Hidan, he's not bothering me."

It was perhaps the unlikeliest situation she had ever been in and realizing how ridiculous it must look, she stifled a hysterical giggle.

"Hinata? Why is there an Akatsuki member in your room?" Asked a thoroughly scandalized Neji who was looking everywhere _but _at Hidan.

"Hey! Fuck you white eyes! I'm not part of that pansy-ass organization anymore!"

Hidan snapped positioning himself so that his dick was almost on top of Hinata's head and dying from laughter on the inside when a startled Hinata flinched at the movement and nearly got a smack in the eye by a certain part of his anatomy for her troubles. She quickly moved away from him, scrubbing the floor as though her life depended on it and turning so red he wondered if she was going to pass out.

"Don't you have the decency to put some clothes on?" Neji snapped back, this time looking him right in the eye.

"Why the hell should I?" He asked, marching right up to Neji and poking him in the chest with his finger. "We're all naked in the eyes of God you heathen shit!"

"Hinata! This is disgraceful behavior!" Neji turned toward his cousin while swatting the offending hand away.

"Hidan please go put some clothes on." She said in a soft strangled voice. "And I've already disgraced myself beyond repair Neji-san-"

"I'll tell you why I'm here white eyes!" Said Hidan cockily as he threw a pair of pants on. "Its cause I got the bitch knocked up and her old man is forcing a shotgun wedding on us!"

Neji goggled, "H-Hinata?"

"Hidan!" She squeaked, utterly horrified by his outrageous lie.

Hidan stepped in quickly to prevent Hinata from saying anything. He wanted to keep his little joke going for as long as possible.

"Don't worry sweetie." He said soothingly, bending down to drop a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll make sure we have a place to live once your cold-hearted relatives kick you out."

Hinata sat there on the floor, eyes glazed, the only thing that would restore her frazzled mind was for her to find a private place so she could have a good cry and there was only one place that she could think of right now that offered her sanctuary.

"Hinata?" Neji prompted, glaring suspiciously at Hidan now that he had gotten over his shock. He now doubted the bogus story and was determined to wring the truth from her.

But unfortunately for Hinata, she was not given a chance to defend herself because suddenly the three ninja heard a knock on the door.

"Hinata Hyuuga. The Hyuuga council has called a meeting for this evening and you are to attend." The man said, making it clear that it was a command not a request.

"Alright." She responded in a strange, empty voice. "I-I need to take a shower. Please don't leave the room Hidan." Without further explanation, Hinata fled, shutting the door behind her.

Hidan acted as though it were merely a request, but ever perceptive Neji sensed a foreign chakra that was neither his nor his cousin's.

Lunch was a miserable affair in which the members of the Main Household were subject to suffer through one of Hidan's religious speeches. Hinata was glad that her father wasn't there for Hidan to antagonize and fortunately for her, most of the clan, sans Hanabi were adept at ignoring the man, their miserable glares letting Hinata know that if she and Hidan were to vanish without a trace, nobody would bat an eyelash.

They were, much to the relief of all, missing at the surprisingly early supper and everyone was in silent agreement that Lord Hyuuga need not know about Hinata and her charge being absent at a meal. Besides, they had discovered that eating and dealing with Hidan at the same time made them prone to sour stomachs.

Hinata's anger at Hidan's lie fueled her against Hidan in a rather vicious spar made even more uncomfortable with Neji trailing them everywhere they went. She was waiting anxiously for the summons to the meeting and she began to realize that she was doing a miserable job. She had personally promised that she would not give the Konoha Council cause for regret and here she was doing just that. "_I must learn to take charge. I cannot let the council down. I never go back on my word and I never give up." _She repeated over and over in her head.

The good cry in the shower had cleared up her emotional state. She called the sparring match to a halt and sat down to meditate asking for peace and quiet. She was deep into her meditation and had gotten into a peaceful state-of-mind when Ayame Hyuuga summoned her for the meaning. Taking a deep breath she and Hidan walked to the meeting.

"Hidan." She said, pulling up a chair. "Please wait here for me and please don't interrupt the meeting."

Hidan scowled and stuffed himself into a chair, completely ignoring Neji. The moment he figured the meeting had started he got out of the chair and put his ear to the door.

"What are you doing?" Neji hissed.

"What's it look like genius? I'm eavesdropping of course! I can't do it if you're flapping your lips so shut up!" Hidan whispered.

Hinata looked calmly at Hisao Hyuuga, her father's right hand man. "Hinata Hyuuga. We the council can see that you have been trying, though with your…_delicate temperament _we understand it's a difficult task for you_._" Hisao said, stressing the words.

Hinata nodded, though she was suspicious. Her temperament had only ever garnered her, her clans' disdain in the past.

"We know that with the added stress of disinheriting the position as clan head only makes things worse." He continued.

Neji, couldn't help himself, he had stopped to listen at the door, curious to figure out this bizarre predicament he had come home too.

Hinata sighed, she had been stressed about becoming the clan head and now, without fear of being branded by the Hyuuga curse seal, vastly relieved when Hanabi had been assigned to take her place. But she spoke not a word, waiting patiently for Hisao to make his point.

"I will be straightforward with you, we are all deeply ashamed of your actions and it is unfitting that the daughter of the Head of House has shamed the clan so."

Hinata read between the lines easily, to them this smacked of the same brand of betrayal the Uchihas' had experienced even though the circumstances were completely different.

"We have found a way for you to redeem yourself and the clan's name whether you succeed at the task we appoint you or not." He said.

For some reason Hidan and Neji were tensing, something about this whole thing seemed fishy to both of them.

"I see." Hinata said without faltering "What does the council propose Hisao-san?"

Neji felt a surge of pride in his cousin's calm demeanor.

Hisao smiled, pleased at what he believed was obedience.

"I know that you want to do what is right for Konoha and for the Hyuuga clan so I propose an…experiment-one that, if successful would improve the Hyuuga bloodline."

Hinata had a sneaking suspicion about what was coming and from the look of things, so did the council.

"We have all heard the rumors that this man, Hidan is an immortal, I found that to be true when I struck a fatal blow to his heart and lungs simultaneously this morning in the small eastern dojo." Hisao continue.

There were murmurs of astonishment and he waited for them to die down. When they did he went on, "Think about it! The possibility of a nearly immortal breed of Hyuuga! We'd be the most powerful clan in the world!" He said, a passionate fervor in his eyes.

Hidan's fists clenched helplessly and he let out a silent snarl since Hinata had warned him not to disrupt the meeting. But oh how he wanted to rush in and slaughter all those heathen scum! How dare they even _think_ about treating one of Jashin's messengers as experimental breeding stock!

Neji's eyes narrowed and his fists had clenched too. He could not believe that the Hyuuga clan was willing to stoop so low as to forcing someone into an experimental breeding program. He knew that many clans outside Konoha, most notably Kiri, Iwa and Kusa did such things but this was…

Both men held their breath waiting to hear Hinata's answer.

"But what if it doesn't work?" Junigatsu Hyuuga asked in concern, noting that this was something that must be reported to the Hokage.

"Well Hinata cannot be blamed if it doesn't work, genetics being what they are. Though of course she would have to have several children just to make sure and perhaps several other women from the branch clans." Hisao explained. The council nodded in assent.

Hinata gaped at the council in shock, and the fact that they were calmly discussing this as if she were a broodmare and the idea that they would be executing fatal attacks on her children to see if it had worked was…she suddenly felt sick to her stomach!

"I'm sorry but it is against his religion." She explained.

Mistaking the priest's celibacy for a ban against physical pleasures, Hisao replied dismissively, "He doesn't even need to have sexual intercourse, we can simply extract it from him and inseminate you and anyone else willing to participate."

"I'm gonna kill that heathen fucker!" Hidan snarled quietly.

"I am sorry Hisao-san, but it will not work." She said quietly.

"You don't even know that Hinata-" He interrupted.

"His immortality cannot be passed on through his genes." She explained, "It is a blessing of his God and religion."

"It's a physical thing!" He hissed, finally losing patience. "Lord Hiashi, Hanabi-san and I all saw it with our own eyes and even if you won't do it there are women who will!"

"Y-you mean you would force them to do it?" Hinata asked disdainfully.

"The experimental breeding of bloodlines is not illegal in Konoha!" Hisao hissed, "How do you think the likes of the Hyuuga came about you foolish girl? Besides the council has more power over you! We could easily-"

"B-b-but the Hokage has more power over you." Hinata replied coolly. "And Hidan is solely my responsibility."

"If you fail, there's not much you can do if we were to take hold of him." Jutaro Hyuuga snapped.

"Y-yes, that's t-t-t-true." Hinata agreed. "B-but as of now, he is still my responsibility. I am done discussing this. Good evening." And Hinata knew that for both their sakes, she needed to continue to keep Hidan as her responsibility, though she did worry about what would happen if her father, the Hokage, or worse the Konoha council decided to trump her decision.

Hidan could have kissed her! The bitch-no-Hinata had come through for him again, had put him before the wants of greedy pricks and for the second time since he'd met her, Hidan felt grateful.

"I'm fucking proud of you miss-goody-two-shoes!" He said affectionately. "You finally grew a backbone! I could kiss you right now! Seriously."

Neji snorted derisively as he headed towards his apartment.

Hinata gave him a weary smile. "Lets not g-give the council a-an-any ideas Hidan." she said as they went back to the room.

"Hinata. Do you know why sex is considered a sin in Jashinism?" Hidan asked.

There was a long moment of silence and Hidan thought she must have fallen asleep and was about to wake her up to ask her again when she spoke.

"B-because there is the possibility that it would m-make a new life and that goes against everything that Jashinists believes because they are the messengers of death."

Hidan grinned, she still surprised him with her knowledge on the subject of his religion, she was the first heathen he'd ever met who actually knew something about Jashinism.

"So why'd it take you so long to answer miss-goody-two-shoes?"

"I-I had to-"She began.

"Never mind Hinata." He said congenially before her stuttering got on his nerves and ruined his rare good mood.

He leaned against the window, the moonlight illuminating his silvery hair and Hinata's breath caught in her throat. If there were angels, even evil ones on earth, surely they would look like him.

"H-Hidan?" She said after another prolonged silence.

"Yeah what's up goody-two-shoes?" He asked, enjoying the cool night air coming from the too small window.

"Does Ja-Jashinism prohibit other things l-like kissing?" She asked, twiddling her fingers and looking down at them.

"Why you want me to kiss you?" He asked, giving her a cocky grin.

"N-no. I-uhh-I was just curious." She said with a sliver of a smile.

"What you don't think I'm good looking?" He demanded in mock hurt.

"No! No you are very good looking but it-I u-umm…"

He was thoroughly enjoying her fluster and besides he knew that women found him attractive. He was a pretty good looking guy after all. He had just decided to ignore all that shit, because it eventually led to sex

"Well think about it. Can you get pregnant from kissing someone?" He asked.

"No. I-it was a stupid question. S-sorry." Hinata said, laying back down on her bed.

"Hey don't worry about it! How can you learn about Jashinism if you don't fucking ask questions?" He said, hunching over her, his lips pulled into a genuine smile.

It softened his features and lent him a boyish look and Hinata couldn't help but smile shyly at him as he bent down and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"There. There's that kiss I promised you miss-goody-two-shoes. Just try to contain yourself for the rest of the night ok?" Hidan said teasingly.

She giggled a little as he went into the bathroom, her cheeks burning as she stared out of the tiny window she'd left open and was enjoying the cool spring breeze when a group of fireflies came dancing around, having been with Shino for so long Hinata knew how to read the messages of various insects, however when they formed twinkling groups of kanji saying "We are here for you," Hinata's face broke into a radiant smile and a few tears of happiness slipped down her cheeks.

"Thank you." she said.

"Hinata. Why are you talking to bugs?" Hidan asked coming out of the bathroom.

She only shook her head as the fireflies flittered down to give Shino and Kiba her message.

"You're a real piece of work you know that?" He said, though there was nothing mocking or cruel in his tone tonight, just simple confusion.

"Yes. I know." She said, knowing that his friendly mood would vanish tomorrow. She fell down gracefully, hands behind her head and let out a contented sigh. Now more then ever she needed to make a good impression not just for the Konoha Council but for her precious people.

Hinata stepped around Hidan carefully so she would not interrupt his morning ritual. She got ready for the day and then sat down quietly to wait for him to finish. Occasionally activating the Byakugan so she could intercept people at the door. She knew he hated being interrupted and as bloody and terrifying as his rituals were she couldn't help but feel that holy, otherworldly presence gracing the room with an energy that was dark and pleasing all at once. It had become their routine of sorts, something Hinata did thrive on. to wait in the morning for him to complete his ritual, her specialized eyes studying his body in fascination, to scrub the floor while he showered and then to go down to breakfast.

As he was getting dressed, Hinata asked the question she had been dying to ask him all morning.

"Um…H-Hidan?"

"What?" He mumbled, throwing on his pants.

"Y-you know how uh…important it is for us to s-stick together right?" She ventured.

"Uh-huh." He mumbled.

"Well…I sort of had an idea that w-w-w-would help keep things more uh-peaceful at meal times." She explained.

"Just spit it out Hinata. I don't have enough fucking patience for your stuttering this morning." Hidan quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well, maybe instead of talking to everyone else at the t-table maybe…you could um j-j-just talk to me instead?" She looked away, as though bracing herself for one of his explosive tantrums.

Hidan gave her a look, it was fucking fun to rile those idiot relatives of hers up, but after hearing what the council wanted to fucking do to him yesterday, maybe he could fucking pretend to get along with her. Besides that, Hinata was the only fucking heathen who actually took the time to _really _listen to him. She didn't fake it. She didn't ignore him or ever tell him to shut up and she was also the one heathen who knew enough about his religion to carry on a half-ass decent conversation.

It was really ironic that the one heathen who took the time to listen to him was too soft and gentle to become a Jashinist. None of the priestesses would ever accept her even if she wanted to join. There were only four more days until the holier-than-thou Konoha Council decided to pass judgment and it was in his best interest to stay with her, especially since it was what Lord Jashin wanted.

"Ok." He said.

She blinked at owlishly at him, as if unable to comprehend anything he was saying.

"I said o-fucking-kay so stop staring at me like I just spoke a foreign language and lets go get breakfast I'm starving!" He snapped irritably.

She didn't take his tone of voice personally. She'd quickly learned he was always shaky and irritable after he completed a ritual. It burned up a lot of his chakra and it helped his body heal faster when he ate. They walked out the door and by the time they got downstairs they were a bit surprised to find the whole place empty, save for her father. Nobody at this point wanted to deal with Hidan at mealtime, so they had all gotten up extremely early to eat and all but beg for missions to take them far away from the Hyuuga complex.

Lord Hiashi scowled when he saw _that man _coming down to eat.

"Hinata." He said sternly, "_that man _is running up the water bill and he's only been here three days. Tell him to quit taking so many damn showers."

Hinata blinked in surprise at her father's use of uncouth words. Hidan and Hiashi both stared at Hinata until she finally said, "Trust me father, it's much better that he showers several times a day."

Lord Hiashi looked up and grimaced when he saw traces of blood stains that would probably never go away. He was thankful that the floor was made of red-stained wood so that it would blend in rather then stand out. He had nothing to say for the duration of the meal and Hidan reserved his long-winded speeches for Hinata.

When they went out into the commons Neji trailed after them like a shadow, watching as the strange pair squared off. When they sparred his eyes followed the man's movements. Nothing special in the Jounin's opinion. Graceful? Yes. Fast and instinctual? Certainly. He was also brash and didn't seem to give a damn about injuries, not unlike another annoying loud-mouth Neji knew. He sighed, he supposed being immortal and having a ridiculously high tolerance for pain would do that sort of thing. He was mildly surprised that Hidan didn't just crash into everything like a drunken rhino on a rampage. He was surprised that the man bothered to dodge.

"Hinata?" He said stopping the fight.

Both turned and looked at him simultaneously.

"You need to learn how to fight with him as well. You know you cannot get very far by only fighting against him if you're going to be…_partners._" Neji laced the last word with disgust.

Hidan gave him a sadistic smile. "Then get your pansy ass in here !"

Neji glared and began working with them, two against one, Hidan noticed that Hinata barely held her own, though he wasn't pleased to see that he wasn't doing much better. How the hell could he have captured two fucking jinchuuriki only to have trouble trying to take down this Hyuuga pansy? His eyes slid over to Hinata, his fucking saving grace, his obstacle, his holy mission, his punishment, his _partner. _Well, that explained everything. She was no Kakuzu that was for damn sure!

After the first three rounds of miserable defeat, courtesy of one long-haired pretty boy, Hinata and Hidan began to get the hang of it, they began to get each other's timing and Hidan had to admit (at least to himself) that he was surprised at miss-goody-two-shoes' perseverance. It was then that he began to learn that his sensitive, gentle roommate had the innate Hyuuga drive for perfection. It was gonna be real interesting working with her. He thought with a grin as he grabbed her towel to wipe off his sweat.


	4. The Road of Trials Part Two

**The Road of Trials **

**Part Two**

_A continuation of The Road of Trials Part One_

_

* * *

_Hinata stared into the darkness, unable to sleep long after Hidan had finished his evening ritual. She wondered if he saw his God. Then she wondered if he would be offended if she asked him. Religion was a tricky subject, half the time he encouraged discussion, so long as he was the one doing the telling. Half of the time, even the simplest question sent him into a rage. Such was the mind of a zealot and in truth sometimes Hinata was sick of it. But being Hinata meant that she listened fully and politely.

The one good thing about being Hinata that her father valued was that she was able to listen to conversation without interrupting and adding her own opinions until it was over with, then figure out the best course of action for the best impartial solutions, she had a good, sound mind, he'd said, one of the few rare compliments she'd ever received and because of this invaluable ability, she knew that she would at least be afforded a prime spot in diplomatic positions.

Suddenly she began to feel that sense of the divine and her breath caught in her throat as she stood naked and for the extremely modest girl, completely unashamed. A rush of wind, cold and musty blew her long blue-black hair out of her face and she found herself staring up at the God of Death. How she knew that this was Jashin had nothing to do with the intimate knowledge afforded to human beings in the presence of Gods and everything to do with the striking resemblance to her roommate and Hinata was utterly terrified as the God regarded her, flexing his massive wings, appearing both young and old all in the same instant.

Jashin waited, wondering what this timid little mouse of a human would do as he opened himself up to her, regarding her with his ages old stare that had seen the deaths of stars and planets, civilizations and these odd sentient animals known as human beings. He saw a soul in her so pure that it startled him, no wonder he felt attracted to her, she was one of the rare few that went largely unsullied, even despite her "ethically dubious" job. He was also angry to notice a sharp jagged black line, cutting through the crystalline soul, courtesy of his most favored devotee.

Hinata's first instinct was to run, her terror overwhelmed her senses, then something changed, something intangible, yet fundamental shifted and she found a sense of warmth and comfort, something akin, yet different to the darkness of the womb, though she could not fully describe it. Something gentle, a surcease from all suffering. Hinata walked forward as if in a hypnotic state, the whispers in her mind telling her to embrace Death and allow all the worries and responsibilities of the world to slip away, enfolded in his powerful wings. A promise that Hidan wished for every day of his unnaturally extended life.

That was when the God smiled benevolently at her and vanished and Hinata sat straight up in her bed, a sense of loss and sadness and fear engulfed her and Hinata cried violently in the darkness.

Hidan began his morning ritual, Jashin came swiftly to him.

"HIDAN, I HAVE SOMETHING YOU NEED TO SEE."

Hidan merged with Jashin until they were looking at his sleeping distressed roommate with two sets of eyes. Jashin overshadowing so Hidan could see, but not a full possession so the priest could understand and remember.

Hinata's physical body melted away in a blaze of golden light to reveal her soul, her very essence. It was…beautiful! Like a pristine, crystal-clear pool in an old forest. At the edges, it was cloudy as though someone had kicked dust into it and one jagged, black ugly mark like a streak of toxic waste ran through it.

"THE CLOUDINESS AT THE EDGES INDICATES THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL POLLUTION CAUSED BY HER RIGID, DOMINEERING RELATIVES, THE BLACK MARK THERE WAS CAUSED BY YOU, IN ALL YOUR SADISTIC HATRED. I AM MOST DISPLEASED."

Hidan grimaced. He'd really screwed up this time.

"I AM GOING TO REVEAL THE REASON FOR YOUR HOLY MISSION HIDAN. WHEN HER TIME COMES YOU MUST DELIVER HER TO ME. DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION OF HER SOUL, YOU MAY COME HOME AND BE FREED OF MY BLESSING."

Hidan gasped. This was unexpected. To be called home was what every Jashinist lived for and what few ever accomplished and when he came out of his ritual, he realized he could never look at her the same way again and he was oddly quiet and well-behaved until lunch time.

They were eating lunch at the table, more then half the council there. This had made Hidan visibly tense. Hinata glanced at her father and wondered if he would support them in their plot to strengthen their bloodline. It depressed her so much that she slumped in her seat.

This did not go unnoticed by her father, who raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in mood.

"So Lord Hyuuga." Hisao began. "I believe you found a good match for your new heir?"

"Yes. Hanabi approves of him as well." And so she should. The Hyuuga could arrange marriages but they could not force them. The choice had to be mutual for the one getting married and the parents.

Hidan's nails scoured his flesh, his hatred becoming a tangible thing in the room.

"It will be an excellent asset for keeping the Hyuuga bloodline fresh and strong wouldn't you say?" He said.

Hiashi noticed the tenseness of at least half the members at the table and _that man's _fury. He assumed that they'd gotten into a nasty argument, though something about the tension was wrong, there was a tangible sense of fear and apprehension in the air and he began to get very suspicious. Though he kept an impassive face as Hisao droned on about bloodlines.

Hidan slammed one hand on the table and pointed at Hisao with a shaking finger, his face was contorted with rage and he snarled,

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up you steaming pile of dog shit! You're all sick fucks!"

Lord Hiashi was shocked at the venom in the man's tone. There was no trace of mockery or irritation in his voice, this was pure, undiluted hatred. Several members of the clan looked guilty and slightly fearful and Hiashi didn't fail to notice that those that did were all members of the council.

"Especially you! What kind of a man condones using his grandchildren as fucking experimental fodder to see if they're immortal or not!"

Hidan's words sunk in. The very idea of introducing the genes of the one person he hated more then anyone on earth into his grandchildren filled him with rage. A second and more disturbing image came unbidden and unwanted into his mind. His sweet, fragile daughter being mercilessly raped by this foul man, hearing her cries for help go unanswered, made him shake with overprotective parental fury and his stomach churn sickeningly and he realized that he still loved his eldest as fiercely as he loved his youngest.

She had been the apple of his eye as a child, a sweet, loving, little girl who looked so much like his beloved dead wife that it had hurt to look at her times, who gave selflessly and expected nothing in return and Hiashi Hyuuga would not allow her to suffer the abuses of the psychopath she had tethered herself to for the desires of the council.

When the haze of black had cleared from his eyes and his harsh breathing returned to normal, Hiashi found his voice. When he spoke, it was low and cold and made every Hyuuga flinch at the undisguised venom in it.

"When was this decided?" He asked.

"Nothing has been decided yet Lord Hyuuga. Hinata has refused to consent to it. " Said Hisao. "We thought that with your influence you could persuade her to-"

"I will never have that psychopath's genes tainting any of my blood ." He said. His voice soft and deadly.

Not even Hidan spoke a word, apparently satisfied that the little asshole wouldn't be getting his way.

"And the council decided to go behind my back?" He demanded.

There was a moment of tense silence that confirmed everything.

"Because you knew I would never go along with it. We will reconvene after lunch and discuss your blatant disobedience and pending punishment further. "

Hisao Hyuuga and his supporters may have been momentarily cowed, but come hell or high water they were going to continue with their experiment. They would just have to use a little creativity to get what they wanted.

When that disastrous lunch was over, Hidan who had been uncharacteristically quiet asked.

"Why the hell do you stay with them? Your own father cares more about you as potential breeding stock then as his own fucking daughter. That's pretty cold even for me. Seriously."

Hinata had seen everything in her father's eyes during his ominous silence and she wiped away the tears that had trickled down her face. Happy that he cared more then he let on and shook her head.

"No. My father cares about me. H-he may not b-b-b-be demonstrative, but he does care. It just takes a little longer f-f-for outsiders to s-see it. that's all"

Hidan snorted. "Then you're even blinder then I thought."

_Tch. The old man probably thinks I'm gonna rape her or some shit. As if I'd ever do something like that! Rape goes against my religion! _He thought angrily. And it was then that Hidan was hit by an image nearly identical to Hiashi Hyuuga's. Hinata getting captured by the Akatsuki and being raped for hours as a method of interrogation. Among the members that he knew, there weren't a lot of rapists in the Akatsuki but there were one or two for sure and he knew Itachi had used a simulation of rape to get the job done on captured spies that had infiltrated the organization. He couldn't say he was for sure about any of the new little fucking recruits, but imagining Hinata being tortured that way was enough to make him hot and sick and shaky inside.

"H-Hidan? Hidan are you alright?" Hinata prompted, noticing a very similar look on his face.

He swallowed thickly, feeling an overpowering urge to grab Hinata, force her to become a missing nin and travel to some foreign land where the Akatsuki had no power so she could live out her days in peace. Brutal rape, even if it was some Tsukiyomi bullshit would leave a blacker mark on her soul then he ever would. At least that's what he told himself. But no matter what lies or excuses Hidan tried to tell himself, he knew that he cared about Hinata for reasons other then offering her pristine soul to Jashin-sama and in a weird way, that troubled him almost as much as the possibility of rape.

Kakuzu was alive, though he'd been very sick and badly injured for a long time. When he first found out that Hidan had been blown to bits, he'd been elated. When Zetsu found him on the auction block of an underground shinobi sex slave market, he'd felt pity for the first time in a long time. When Zetsu had found out about the cursed seal on his partner, Kakuzu felt a streak of vindictive glee when Leader announced that they were going to retrieve the stubborn religious nin.

He wouldn't have to resort to violence, nope. All he had to do was say, "Shut up Hidan." and Hidan would shut up. Or "Don't waste your time in battle Hidan." And Hidan would finish up quickly.

In truth he felt sort of bad for Hidan's current master. From Zetsu's reports, she was the rarest of shinobi and the rarest of people. She was selfless and giving, kind-hearted and vulnerable in every way. Hidan must be making her life a living hell and Kakuzu would happily take the troublesome man off of her dainty little hands.

The week passed by quickly and the council convened to go over Junigatsu Hyuuga's report. There were raised eyes at the council's idea but no one said a word. After all, experimenting with bloodlines were not illegal in Konoha. Coercion was though, but it appeared that Lord Hyuuga had taken action already.

Long hours passed as the council discussed and argued the point and finally, they made their decision. It was time to call Hinata and Hidan in.


	5. Shattered Dreams

**Shattered Dreams**

_A little side view after The Road of Trials Pt 2_

_

* * *

_Hinata stared miserable at the uneasy eyes of the priest before them. A month after she had been chosen as Hidan's permanent guard, her clan had finally prevailed upon her father to force a wedding by reminding him that she was only shaming the clan further by allowing them to share the room together, compounded by the fact that someone had slipped them an aphrodisiac and had conveniently found them in a very compromising position to put it delicately.

She could sense the greedy eyes of the Hyuuga council on her as the priest droned on during the wedding ceremony. Hidan seethed next to her and her father refused to look at her. They would be banished to the servant's quarters shortly after the wedding. Hidan of course had had to bargain for this marriage to happen so he could stay in Jashin's good graces. Of course she had been devastated when she found out that the price was any offspring they would inevitably have would eventually go into the priesthood.

A difficult task when all of Konoha and the Hyuuga clan would be guarding this newly evolved Kekkai Genkai zealously and it would be the worst thing in the world to Hinata because Hisao-san would refuse to believe that the God had bestowed immortality on their children and at that moment when the priest had pronounced them husband and wife, Hinata Hyuuga understood Itachi Uchiha more then ever before. She hated her clan and her inconsiderate husband so fiercely that for just a moment she would have given anything to be as powerful as the infamous nukenin and wipe them all out.

Nine months later, they'd had a son and the moment she set eyes on him, she was convinced that he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. He had silky, silver hair and his white eyes had the palest pink tint to them. Hinata fell in love with little Takeo Hyuuga. She winced a little as he bit down on her sore nipple and began to nurse. But Hinata couldn't help but feel wonderfully in tune as she felt the pull of her milk and smelled his sweet baby smell.

Then a shadow fell over her and the baby and she looked up with wide eyes to see Hisao san and Hiashi Hyuuga standing over them.

"Hinata. It is time to see if the baby is immortal." Hisao said as he reached down for her newborn child.

"No stop!"

Hinata woke up with a shriek, startling her roommate out of a deep slumber.

"Whazzamatter Hinata? You had a bad dream or somethin?" He murmured before he fell back asleep.

Hinata's heart was thumping wildly and she swore that she could still feel a ghostly child nursing at her breast and a dull ache in her heart.

It had been almost a week since the council had made Hidan her permanent ward and she was just now beginning to realize how much she had given up for this one man. Because of her treachery, no clan would want her and because of Hidan no man, regardless of the way their clan or family felt, would not be able to overcome the fact that sharing their life with her also meant sharing their life with another man. Because of Hidan's vow of celibacy and psychotic nature he could never find it in his heart to love her and they would certainly never have children.

What's more was that various members of the council had tried all kinds of crazy schemes. They had slipped aphrodisiacs in their food and drink, sprayed sprays in the air, had even caught Hidan in a genjutsu once where Hinata had actually found a woman who was holding a little cup in the bathroom with Hidan while he was-attending to some very personal needs. She blushed fiercely at that very awkward memory.

She sighed. That false illusion that she had been freed in more ways then she'd imagined vanished as quickly as a genjutsu and Hinata knew that she'd really done it this time. Knowing that Hidan would be angry if she woke him up crying, she took in deep breaths of air and tried to come to terms with her shattered dreams.


	6. A New Beginning

**New Beginnings**

_A continuation of Shattered Dreams_

_

* * *

_Hidan decided that he hated Hinata's teammates. He hated how enthusiastically they greeted her, despite the fact that she was a traitor. Hated the anger and insecurity he felt when The Mutt (that's what he called Kiba) hugged her and His Fleas (that's what he dubbed Shino) spoke in a warm tone of voice to her. Most of all he hated it when she spoke to them without a single stutter.

Sure. Hinata had known them since her Academy days and sure they've been on a team since they were eleven years old, but Hidan couldn't help but feel jealous and possessive of Hinata. She was his goddammit! She had rescued him, she was his sacred mission and as much as he hated to admit it she was beginning to become his temptation. He could date her if he wanted too, but he was pretty sure that would fuck up her purity all to hell! Then where would he be? This sure was a fucked up holy mission Jashin-sama had sent him on! He grumbled mentally.

He should just back off and try to detach himself-but that had always been his biggest problem. Hidan needed people, his mother didn't want him, he had never been liked by the people in the orphanage, his Genin team and his sensei had hated him and the other petty little fucks at the temple had always been jealous of him because he was Jashin's unequalled favorite and he had never made friends among the Akatsuki. Not that he wanted to be friends with any of those piss-faces! But he needed them just the same, if it was only to piss them off, Hidan hated being ignored.

It was why he was going to refuse to share Hinata. She seemed to be the only person in the whole wide world that showed him kindness and would go out of her way to make him feel like he was worth something and he'd be damned if he was going to let The Mutt and His Fleas take all of that away from him!

Hinata had been secretly relieved that Kurenai sensei wasn't there. Though Kiba and Shino had claimed that she'd finally taken an extended leave to take care of her child, Hinata couldn't help but feel as though she had driven their sensei away. Hinata was also relieved to see that Hidan was behaving himself at least for the moment. He hadn't said a word to Kiba and Shino.

Things were going well until Kiba decided to sling his arm over his best friend and not-so-secret crush.

"Hey Mutt! Back off!" Hidan snapped, pulling her away.

Akamaru growled threateningly.

Kiba scowled and grabbed her arm. "I'm her best friend. I don't have too."

"Kiba that kind of hurts-" She began.

Hidan yanked her back again.

"So what? I'm her fucking roommate and I'm gonna be with her for the rest of her life. That totally takes precedence over a best friend!"

"H-Hidan I-I don't understand what the p-p-problem-" She tried but was rudely interrupted.

"Just because you two are stuck together doesn't mean you enjoy a special relationship." Kiba replied, tugging hard on her arm. "I've known her since pre-school!"

"She's seen me bare-assed naked in our room! That's probably more then I can say for you limp dick! I'm practically her goddamn sex slave! Or didn't her daddy tell you that he sent her all the way out to pick me up as a birthday present?" Hidan yelled, running his hand down her lush curves and feeling the sweet heat of desire in spite of himself.

"What a crock of bull! Hinata was born in the winter not the fall." Kiba said triumphantly. "She was there on a solo recon mission! Everyone knows that."

Hinata froze like a deer caught in the headlights. The people around her were beginning to stare and suddenly she wished that the earth would open up and swallow her whole. Here she was in the middle of a tug of war between two men who were acting like spoiled children and one of them was screaming that he was her sex slave. She had never been so embarrassed in all her life…and to make it all worse Naruto was coming her way!

Hinata finally managed to break free from the bickering men, rubbed her bruised arms and stared at the ground, face flaming.

"Hey guys you wanna go grab a bite to eat at Ichiraku's? I was just on my way to there and besides…I kind of have a surprise I wanna show you."

"Sure sounds good." Kiba said, his curiosity peaked.

The group walked off while Naruto and Kiba chattered away animatedly at Hinata while Hidan hung back a little, arms crossed and jealousy written all over his face.

To Shino, this was an interesting development and he was determined to find out what was going on between them. From what he could see, Hinata did not seem to have any sort of attraction towards the S-Class criminal, though their relationship was an odd thing, he could clearly see that his sensitive teammate was looking harassed and acting more like the painfully shy Genin of her childhood then the competent Chuunin she was in his presence. Kiba also seemed unnaturally possessive of her today and Shino foresaw a lot of headaches over Hinata in the near future.

As they sat down with their bowls and began to eat, they began to talk. Hidan was sitting very close to Hinata and scowling at them, as though daring them to get too close to her.

"So Naruto, what's this surprise you said you wanted to show us?" Kiba asked, brimming with curiosity.

"You'll see." He said mysteriously before turning to Hinata. "Hinata-chan. I know what happened." He said.

Hinata sighed.

"I'm not mad at you or anything, just promise me you won't run away to go cozy up to some freaky snake bastard with an unhealthy obsession for twelve year olds!"

Kiba and Naruto hooted with laughter and even Hinata giggled a little. Naruto and Kiba's good cheer had always been infectious.

"Speakin of runaway bastards! Look who just got out of prison!" Naruto said affectionately, slapping Sasuke hard on the back.

"He's been in prison? Really? For how long?" Kiba asked, twisting his neck to stare at the last Uchiha.

Shino was certainly surprised to see Sasuke here. He'd had no idea that he'd been back in the village at all and was just as curious as Kiba for answers.

"He's been here about a year." Naruto answered congenially. "Well that's what the old lady told me yesterday. In fact he's gonna be taking turns staying with me, Sakura- chan and Kakashi-sensei till his probation period is up. Or he does something stupid and gets sent back to prison permanently. Whatever comes first. "

"I can speak for myself moron." Sasuke said quietly.

"Yeah but you won't cause you're an anti-social bastard, so I have to do it for you." Naruto smirked.

"Ah uh h-hello S-Sasuke." Said Hinata.

Sasuke ignored him and glanced at Hinata thoughtfully. If she didn't act that way towards everyone, he would have written her off as just another stupid fan girl a long time ago. They'd never really spoken more then a few times in the Academy and though sometimes he'd had to sit by her when no other seat was available, it had been refreshing to sit next to the only girl who didn't throw herself at you like you were some kind of celebrity.

He had heard rumors about her treachery in prison of course. Who hadn't? He'd never really paid it much mind, just as he had never paid her much mind, but now he was beginning to see her in a different light. Rumor also had it that she had been removed from her position as clan heir.

Now that Sasuke had done what he needed to do, he was going to need someone to help restore his clan and he knew that Hinata had no suitors now that he knew she had fallen from grace. Besides, records showed that the Uchiha had descended from the Hyuuga right around the time when the Hidden Villages were starting to form so her bloodline limit would certainly be compatible enough with his and they were far enough removed so that inbreeding wouldn't be a serious concern.

Since he had no one from his own clan to protest such a match, he could make an offer for her. Hiashi Hyuuga must be desperate to get her and her charge out of his hair. She had also grown up to be a very pretty girl and she would make a fine mother. The only problem he had was figuring out what to do with Hidan in the meantime?

As Sasuke mulled over this, Naruto had once again resumed conversation.

"Hey Hinata-chan! You gonna finish that?" He asked, pointing at her unfinished bowl of ramen with his chopsticks.

"Here N-Naruto-kun. You c-c-c-can have it." She replied, pushing her bowl towards him.

"Mmm. Thanks. So what do you guys have planned for today?"

"Eh. We're gonna head over to the training grounds so we can get used to working with Preacher Man over here!" Kiba shrugged.

"Really?" Naruto asked with his mouth full. "Can I spar with you guys too? I wanna see what the jerk can do."

"What did you call me you little punk?" Hidan stood up.

"You heard me!" Naruto said swallowing his ramen and shoveling the rest in.

"I'll have you know I could kick all your asses with one arm tied behind my back!" Hidan told him.

"Ha! I'll believe it when I see it!" Kiba scoffed and Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"That's a laugh." Sasuke snorted as he finished up his ramen.

"You're on!" Naruto said getting in his face.

"You can pair up with me Hinata." Said Kiba

"That means you'll be fighting with me." Hidan said quickly.

"How do you figure that?" Kiba snorted as they paid their bill and got up.

"Because wherever she goes I go. Isn't that right Hina-chan?" Hidan said, smacking her playfully on the ass.

Hinata let out a startled squeak and rubbed her stinging bottom.

"Hey! You keep your filthy hands off her!" Naruto and Kiba yelled as one as veins popped in their foreheads.

"I suggest we group up in threes." Said Shino. "Who is going to pair up with Hinata and Hidan?"

"Not us!" Said Naruto! "Me and Kiba are gonna kick his ass! Ya with us Sasuke?"

Sasuke took a moment to consider. On one hand he was very interested in fighting Hidan himself, on the other hand, if he wanted to try convincing Hinata that he would make a good choice in a mate, he doubted humiliating her in a vicious spar would be a good way to do it.

"I'm with Hinata and Hidan. It's been way too long since I kicked your ass." He said and was rewarded with a spirited smile from Naruto.

"Ok. So Shino's on our team." Kiba said.

Sasuke turned to Hidan, "Just don't slow me down."

"Funny! I was gonna say the same thing to you!" Hidan smirked. Then he looked at Akamaru.

"Hey wait a minute! Why do you get four members on your team?"

"Scared?" Naruto asked and Kiba laughed.

"No way! I can totally take on you Konoha pussies any day of the week! I'm just pointing out that the teams are uneven. You ready Hina-chan? Give it all you got girl!"

"I'm r-ready Hidan." Hinata said.

Sasuke scowled. While he understood that Hinata and Hidan needed to learn to fight as a team, he wanted to try and nip any bonds they might be forging in the bud.

"Wait! There's Bushy Brow! He can even up the team since you aren't man enough to take us on with just three people! Hey Bushy Brow! We need another person over here! Are ya busy?" Naruto called.

"I told you its fine!" Hidan said to deaf ears.

Lee was delighted. "Of course I can engage in a group sparring practice!"

Hidan visibly recoiled when Lee stuck out his hand in a friendly gesture.

"My name is Rock Lee. I do not believe I have seen you around Konoha before."

"Jashin preserve me! What the hell are you wearing?" He asked trying not to stare at the skin-tight green spandex.

Lee, who was used to this treatment brushed it off and said hello to Hinata and greeted Sasuke heartily.

"So. Which youthful team am I on?" He asked.

"You're with Hinata, Sasuke and the Priestly Prick against me, Kiba and Akamaru and Shino!" Naruto explained.

Kiba and Naruto snickered at Naruto's nickname for Hidan.

"You mean The Mutt and His Fleas?" Hidan snickered. "All I have to do to beat you two is bring a can of bug spray and a couple of muzzles!"

Kiba bristled. "Yeah yeah enough talk already! Bring it on Preacher Man!"

Two hours later, they were all walking home, bruised, bloodied and exhilarated. Hidan was a lot tougher then they had expected and with two Taijutsu specialists, Hinata and Sasuke on their team it had been a close match.

Even if Naruto hated Hidan's guts, he would definitely look forward to another spar with the Priestly Prick and he definitely wasn't gonna underestimate him next time.

Kiba on the other hand was sulking at the fact that Hinata and Hidan had been learning to work so well with each other. While they weren't flawless they definitely made a formidable pair and what was worse was that Hidan tried to block any attempts for them to spend time with Hinata. The vicious priest had even gotten on Shino's nerves, a feat which Kiba had thought only Naruto was capable of. She may have to spend all her time with him, but Kiba was convinced that he wasn't going to pull the girl of his dreams down with her.

While Hinata and Hidan were upstairs getting cleaned up after the intense sparring session, Sasuke was on his way to pay a visit to Hiashi Hyuuga.


	7. Strange Turn of Events

**Strange Turn of Events**

_A continuation of A New Beginning_

_

* * *

_"Lord Hiashi is not here at the moment." Hiroaki Hyuuga said with a slight sneer. He had never really got along with the Uchiha clan.

"I see. When will he be back?" Sasuke asked politely.

"He will be back tomorrow morning. Now if you'll excuse me Uchiha-san I have things to do." Hiroaki spat the last name like it was a disgusting word and all but slammed the door in the annoyed Sasuke's face.

Kiba at this moment was busy explaining to his mother about the girl of his dreams.

"Hey mom…err we need to talk."

"Oh. About what?"

"Well you aint gonna like this but…I'm in love." Kiba said sheepishly scratching his head.

"With who?" Tsume asked.

"Hinata Hyuuga."

Tsume had always adored little Hinata. She had never thought of the girl as weak per se. Not like other people did, no to Tsume saw that she was simply an Omega and even they had important roles within the pack. She had to admit that it would have been nice to have her for a daughter-in-law, but had never gotten Kiba's hopes up because her father would never have allowed her to marry into a minor clan.

Now, it seemed that the opportunity had been dropped into Kiba's lap but with a high price. She knew that she and most of the Inuzuka clan would be willing to overlook her traitor status. But how would Kiba be able to go out on a mission and know that there was another man with Hinata that could not be gotten rid of? Her son was possessive and jealous of those he cared about and it wasn't always a good thing and she told him so.

Even though he listened, she could tell that his mind was already made up. All she asked was that he think about the problem with Hinata's ward first before rushing off to make any decisions.

Sasuke wasn't really worried about not being able to speak with Hiashi Hyuuga today, after all he had time and he needed to figure out what to do with Hidan. Though tying him up with chakra draining rope and tossing him in some sort of holding cell did have its merits when he and Hinata needed some alone time. Sasuke wasn't sure how close the two were, he was pretty sure that they weren't close at all. Hinata hadn't seemed to happy to be in the lunatic's company that was for sure.

the next day…

Hiashi Hyuuga drummed his fingers idly on the table as he pondered this strange turn of events. He had listened to two men asking for his eldest's hand in marriage in the last couple of hours. One Sasuke Uchiha, one Kiba Inuzuka. He could see where both were coming from, particularly the Uchiha's. He wanted his clan restored and seeing as how Hinata was in a similar predicament right around the time he'd gotten out of prison wanted to snap up the opportunity. The Inuzuka was her teammate and it wasn't uncommon for teammates to get much closer then they should. He twitched at the fact that the latter was from a minor clan and the former a traitor far worse then she was.

However, he did not need to consult the council about this since he was Hinata's father. He asked for her to be brought in, without _that man_. When she and Hidan arrived, she asked him to wait quietly outside and walked in, sure she had done yet another thing wrong and ever fearful that Hisao Hyuuga would finally be getting his way.

"Hinata, sit down." He commanded.

She sat.

"Earlier this morning you had two requests for your hand in marriage. One from Sasuke Uchiha, one from Kiba Inuzuka."

Hinata gaped at him like a fish out of water. This was certainly unexpected and it was not something she could or would burden Kiba and his family with.

"Somebody w-w-w-w-w-w-" She stopped for a moment and shook her head in frustration.

"Somebody wants to m-m-marry me? But b-b-but why? Father this is j-j-just a cruel joke. No one would want me! I-I'm worthless!"

Hiashi flinched inwardly at her cruel words-_his cruel words._

"Regardless of what you may think. You are at least obligated to give them both a chance. Nothing is decided yet." He said sternly. _This could be your last chance. _Went unsaid.

"Of course." She said dejectedly and trudged out the door. Not even bothering to beckon to Hidan who followed her with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Hey Hinata? Why the long face? You look like-"

"Please don't talk to me right now Hidan. I-I don't f-feel like-talking right now." She said in a frosty voice and instead of heading out the door like they were supposed too, they ended up going into the room where Hinata walked into the bathroom door and promptly slammed it shut. Hidan blinked when he realized that she'd cut him off for a change. Dammit! He'd been forward to kicking Spandex Man's ass too!

After a few hours of listening to short bouts of silence interspersed with deep, shaky breaths. Hidan decided he'd had enough.

"What are you constipated in there or some shit?" He called, pounding on the door.

There was no answer.

"Well I don't care if you're on the crapper or not! I'm comin in!" With that he kicked the door hard enough to get it open, uncaring of the fact that it had also come off the hinge on top and stomped into the bathroom.

"Ok. What the fuck is going on?" He demanded.

Hinata sighed. She supposed she'd delayed long enough.

"I-I-I have two marriage pro-proposals and uh Hyu-Hyuuga custom dictates that I at least-date them to uh see if-we're compatible o-or not."

"Whaa-?" Hidan was clearly as stunned as Hinata had been. He didn't need some heathen fucker fucking up her fucking soul! Who knew what kinda havoc they'd wreak on it? It was delicate dammit! But he knew one thing for sure. It was time to get into the role of cock blocker.

"Hina-chan." He said in a singsong voice. "Who is it?"

She shook her head and Hidan used that same beseeching tone that he occasionally had had to use on Kakuzu to gain his assistance.

"Won't you tell me Hina-chan? Pretty please?" He said, using the most charming grin in his arsenal.

Hinata giggled a little through her tears.

"Sasuke Uchiha and Kiba-kun."

All of Hidan's charm evaporated like light mist in the hot sun.

"What? You mean you could be married off to-to Red Eye or The Mutt!" He howled in shock.

"Hidan must you call them that?"

"What? I mean it's not as bad as it could be if His Fleas was proposing but seriously! What the fuck?"

"I-it's not set in stone H-Hidan. I mean I have to like them and my-my f-f-father has to approve of them too so-"

Hidan held up his hand to stop her in her tracks.

"Hinata tell me something. How fucking old are you?"

"I-I'll be nineteen this January."

"Exactly, you're a fucking adult, you need to tell the old man to fuck off and decide for yourself who you wanna be with."

"But…b-but it-it's different when you live in a m-m-major clan Hidan."

She whispered.

"Fuck that! You go tell them who you wanna be with! You're eighteen not eight! You can make your own goddamn decisions."

She sighed and said a little more coldly than she intended. "Things just aren't that simple Hidan."

"Only because you won't let shit be that simple." He retorted.

"C'mon, let's go out! I've got a serious fucking case of cabin fever and we're wasting daylight!"

She got up and they locked eyes and for just a moment she felt like kissing him but she doubted he'd appreciate it so she turned around, grabbed her coat and they headed outside.


	8. The Two Suitors Part One

**The Two Suitors**

**Part One**

_A continuation of Strange Turn of Events_

_

* * *

__A few days later…_

Sasuke scowled faintly at Hidan who was becoming more obnoxious by the second. On top of that, he was still irritated by the knowledge that Kiba was trying to muscle in on his territory, but he took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. But all he had to do was outlast Kiba when it came to the religious nutcase, or as Naruto liked to call him the Priestly Prick and it would be in the bag, besides he'd had plenty of practice ignoring the likes of Naruto, Sakura, Suigetsu and Karin, he could handle Hidan.

He escorted Hinata to a fancy restaurant and grabbed a table outside, feeling too smug and cocky to realize that Hinata's discomfort had less to do with Hidan and her shyness and everything to do with him and this whole situation.

"May I take your order?" A pretty, blonde haired waitress asked the trio.

Hidan eyed her thoughtfully.

Hinata looked down at the menu and her eyes widened when she saw the prices.

"Oh u-um…" She trailed off.

Her stuttering had been so bad today that she had even gotten frustrated with herself and she could tell that Sasuke was already annoyed. She did not want to risk annoying him further so she'd simply retreated into silence.

"I bet ol' Red Eye here would just love to see you in a shorter skirt! He hasn't been able to take his eyes off you since you arrived the sneaky bastard!"

The waitress blinked owlishly.

"Just let me know when you're ready to order." She said coolly and walked away.

"H-Hidan p-please, try not to make a scene." She begged. "I-I really don't w-w-want to get kicked out."

Sasuke frowned, for one thing that should have been a command not a request. For another, Hinata had either been stuttering like mad or had been silent and withdrawn with him all day, but had been able to speak to Hidan normally…well as normally as she could get anyways.

Then again, he was probably over-thinking this. She had always been painfully shy around strangers and they had never really gotten to know each other in the Academy. She had been around Hidan for over a month now so she was a little more used to the volatile priest. Yes. That was definitely it.

"So. Do you know what you would like to eat Hinata?" He asked, in an attempt to make casual conversation.

"Umm…S-S-S-Sasuke-u-uh…i-i-i-it's a-a l-l-little e-expensive for u-um l-l-l-lunch and um…I d-d-don't want to um…i-i-it's n-not that I'm b-being ungrateful but-but…" Embarrassed Hinata trailed off and stared at the table miserably. "I-I could umm…help p-pay if you'd like." She offered.

"Hinata-chan." Said Hidan sweetly, trying hard to hide his growing irritation at her constant stuttering.

"You are supposed to let the guy pay for everything." He hissed in her ear.

"But I'm paying for you." She whispered, her face was getting redder by the minute.

"No. Let your date pay. That's how it works. If your gonna do these things you have to do them right." He hissed in her ear.

Hinata sighed, to say that her very first date was turning out to be a huge disaster was the understatement of the year.

Sasuke had caught every word and though he had vowed to ignore the man he couldn't help taking a jab at him.

"Is that what you do on all your dates Hidan? Let the man pay for everything?" He asked with a slight smirk.

Hidan went red in the face. "Listen asshole! I am a disciple of Jashin! Which means I don't have time for something as frivolous and stupid as a fucking date!"

"That still didn't answer my question." Sasuke goaded. The smirk on his face getting wider.

"It's not my fault your dense." Hidan growled irritably.

Sasuke folded his hands and put them in front of his lips, black eyes gleaming with wry humor.

Hinata rubbed her temples. She was beginning to develop a bad headache because they had been bickering all day.

Sasuke excused himself and the waitress appeared several minutes after.

Hidan and Hinata ordered and the waitress was just about to leave when Sasuke came back and made his order.

Hinata had ordered something small, the least expensive thing on the menu along with a glass of water, Hidan had of course ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, making Hinata cringe. At least she had enough money to cover his expenses because Sasuke was going to be furious when he saw the bill.

When it came, Hinata began digging through her purse. Sasuke stopped her.

"Don't do that Hinata, I said I'll take care of the bill-."

Sasuke stopped when he saw the outrageous amount and Hinata cringed as she pulled the necessary amount out while throwing Sasuke an apologetic look.

Sasuke wasn't stupid, he could see what the crazy man was up too. He wasn't going to let him win and even though it wounded his sense of traditional pride he let Hinata pay part of the meal, breathing deeply and trying to get his temper under control.

Sasuke put an arm around her and Hinata had to force herself not to wince at the attempt at forced casual contact. She could tell that he was as unsettled about this as she was and Hidan was not making it any easier, neither were the bladed stares of the girls who wanted Sasuke for themselves.

She stifled a shriek of hysterical laughter at the irony of it all. For years nobody had so much as even looked her way and now that she was the guardian of a powerful missing nin and would be until the day she died, she had caught the romantic attention of her best friend, the last Uchiha and the jealousy of said missing nin all in the space of a day.

The last she wasn't too sure she wanted to think about, by his own admission he'd never had any friends. Perhaps he viewed her as such and was unsure how to act. That might explain his possessiveness and jealousy. Hinata was no longer sure what to expect, but one thing that she did expect was for the day to get more miserable as it dragged by.

"Hey ANBU asshole! Have you ever considered joining Jashinism? I mean you already go around fucking killing people anyways! You'd be perfect!"

Hidan was proselytizing as they walked by and Hinata already stressed was gritting her teeth.

The ANBU twitched irritably and Hinata had the feeling that she would like to put a few kunai through _his _skull.

"What about you Red-Eye? You ever consider joining up?"

"No." Said Sasuke flatly.

"You know little-miss-goody-two-shoes knows a lot about my religion. Don't ya sweetheart?"

"Is that so? Why don't you ask her to join?" Sasuke said in a bored tone of voice.

"Yeah that's so, but I wouldn't because she doesn't have the temperament for it.

"I don't doubt it."

"Hey you consider joining I'll even let you marry her."

Hinata gave him an odd look.

"If I remember correctly Hinata is your guardian, not the other way around."

"Yeah whatever. So you gonna join or what?"

"I have no intention of joining a cult."

"What? A cult? Fuck that! This is the real deal!"

So saying, Hidan slammed a pike into his heart and wiggled it around for emphasis as huge trails of blood began to spill in his wake, ignoring the screams and gasps of eyewitnesses.

Sasuke remained unmoved, though on the inside he was grotesquely fascinated. Orochimaru would have loved to use someone like Hidan in his quest for immortality.

"Charming." He snorted. "But I think all that blood loss has done something to your brain."

"Don't be such a condescending ass." Growled Hidan.

"U-umm S-Sasuke…I think I'd better take Hidan h-home now."

"Of course. I'll walk you home Hinata." He said smoothly.

Dressing his wounds so he wouldn't bleed all over the house, Hinata thanked Sasuke for the date, apologized profusely for the ridiculous lunch bill and went to her room and began to laugh, she laughed so hard that she cried.

Tomorrow she would be going on a date with Kiba after training and realizing that Hidan was going to do everything in his power to destroy her long-standing friendship, cried even harder.

When she was done with her good cry and her long shower to hide her tears from her unsympathetic roommate's scorn, Hinata came down for dinner.

"So how was your date with Sasuke Uchiha?" Hanabi asked.

Hinata turned on her and her younger sister flinched at the look in her eyes. It looked like she wanted to smack her.

This caught Hisao Hyuuga's attention and he peered at Hinata suspiciously.

"Yes. How was your date Hinata?"

Hiashi asked politely. He had decided that he was dead set on one of them, though he hadn't quite figured out yet which was the lesser of two evils.

"_It was a disaster!" _Hinata and Hidan thought at the same time. The former with an inward grimace and the latter with an outward smirk.

Hiashi could see that it had not gone well.

"What did you think of Sasuke?"

"Oh umm…I haven't spent enough time to form an opinion." She murmured.

Dinnertime conversation fell into the general lull and Hidan was oddly quiet.

Hinata and Hidan were heading out for a bit of early evening sparring when Hisao Hyuuga approached her.

"Trying to catch the eye of a fellow traitor and your teammate Hinata? I always knew there was something wrong with you. But I never expected you to be such a greedy little slut! Tell me, do you sleep with him as well?"

Hinata looked stricken for a moment and Hidan grit his teeth and brought out his pike, intent on sacrificing the fucker when he felt a gentle calming hand on his wrist.

"Don't Hidan." She said, her voice soft and disdainful like he's never heard before.

"L-l-let him think what he wants. They always do anyway."

Without thinking about what she was doing, her fingers entwined with his and she headed towards the training grounds with the puzzled Jashinist in tow.

Hinata was sniffling when they reached the training grounds and once or twice she had to wipe her tears away. She had become faster, a little more aggressive…no that wasn't the right word. He decided, since she had been sparring with him. It was simple tai jutsu and even though she used no chakra he could feel bursts of angry hurt inside him every time she struck with the palms of her hands or her jabbing fingers or closed fists.

Hidan was struck with a crazy idea. What if he could siphon her hurt into him, clear those cloudy waters? He concentrated harder allowing her to hit him more even though by now he'd completely lost use of his left arm. When they were both exhausted they sat down and Hidan took a deep breath of the sweet night air.

"Feel better?" He asked with an amused grin as though he knew something she didn't.

"Yeah." She said as she down next to him.


	9. The Two Suitors Part Two

**The Two Suitors **

**Part Two**

_A continuation of The Two Suitors Part One_

_

* * *

_The next few days went by in a happy blur-for Hinata and an irritating one for Hidan. It was clear that Hinata loved spending time with The Mutt and His Fleas and Hidan resented them for it all the more. He could make Hinata smile and laugh if he really tried. Like the other night when he's used _the voice. _

They'd just taken a break from training when he heard the sounds of The Mutt and the Nine Tails, who had taken to joining them for training almost as often as Spandex Man and Red Eyes, arguing. Presumably over something stupid. Hinata was sitting down and opening their lunch with an amused expression on her face.

"No way! You were lucky you weren't born a girl! You'd make your poor mother ashamed cause you'd be the ugliest girl there ever was!" Naruto cackled gleefully.

"I would not! I'd be a way hotter chick then you!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"Would not!"

"Would too!"

"What are these idiots fighting about?" Hidan asked Hinata as he grabbed her canteen and gratefully let the icy liquid slide down his parched throat.

Hinata only covered her growing smile with her mouth, though she couldn't help _but _notice how attractive he looked at that moment, she quickly averted her gaze.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Than prove it!"

"Oiroke no jutsu!" They both cried, weaving hand signs together.

"Hey Hinata! Which one of is prettier?" Kiba asked.

If poor Hinata had had a trouble holding in her laughter before, Hidan undid her efforts by turning his face towards the sun and clapping his hand over his eyes.

"Oh. My. God! Your village is full of freaks!" He muttered amidst wolf-whistles and bleeding noses.

Hinata burst into full blown giggles. It was not the desperate laughter Hidan had heard a few days ago, it was a pure, wholesome sound which made Naruto and Kiba laugh along with her.

"And for the record both of you make ugly chicks!" He said, still keeping his face turned away from them.

Kiba smirked. "You're just jealous because we make prettier girls than you do!"

"You do not!"

"We do too!"

"I'm still prettier than both of you!" Naruto crowed triumphantly, striking a pose.

"You are not! I'm more gorgeous than every man IN Konoha!" Hidan snapped.

"But you would still make an ugly chick!" Kiba rejoined.

"I would not! And there's no way in hell you're gonna get me to prove it either!"

"That's because you don't have the balls like we do to know that we're a pair of hot babes and still be able to get all the girls in Konoha." Naruto beamed.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Course not! Cause you don't got the balls to know what it feels like to be us!"

"I do too!"

"Do not!"

"Yes I fucking do!"

"Prove it then."

"Ok…ok."

Hidan clumsily made the hand signs and out of the smoke came a positively stunning woman.

Naruto and Kiba could only stare for a moment at the lush, silver hair flowing down Hidan's back, soft, pink sultry lips and his um….other generous bounties.

Naruto whistled low. "That's a nice set of tits ya got there Hidan!"

"Wha-what? Hey! H-Hey! Listen you! You keep your filthy, perverted, heathen eyes to yourself do ya hear?" The scandalized priest cried, as he crossed his arms over his bare chest protectively.

Another set of hand signs and Hidan dispelled the Oiroke no Jutsu and promptly sat down, face burning red enough to match Hinata's amidst their howls of laughter and her soft giggles to grab a dumpling that was halfway to her mouth.

Shino merely rolled his eyes as he sat down to his own lunch, amused by Kiba and Naruto's antics. He hadn't expected the violent, straight-laced man to join in on the fun they were having and somewhere inside he couldn't help but wonder if Konoha was in a small way proving to be good for him and he could definitely tell that Hinata was having a large positive impact. He knew Hidan was too religious, too fanatical and devoted to ever give up his blood thirsty ways for anyone or anything, but he also that Hinata had a way of bringing around in a very slow, gradual way and he could plainly see that he was fighting his attraction to her, just as she was beginning to realize hers.

He could see it in the way they sat closely, a little more comfortably together, in the way she stuttered a little less around him, in the way that he harassed and harried her less and less, even though he had and still was taking a big toll on her.

Sasuke frowned at the three idiots' antics. He didn't like the fact that he was stealing Hinata's food right out from under her very nose and he liked it even less that the former Akatsuki member looked so damn natural sitting and eating and goofing off with her and her friends as though he belonged here. Hidan would never belong to Konoha. He told himself though his subconscious called him a liar, told him that he was jealous because Sasuke had never truly felt like he belonged anywhere. Least of all in this village.

After training Kiba and Hinata went out on their date. While the date with Sasuke had been formal, the date with her best friend felt pretty much like any other day they spent together. They grabbed ramen at Ichiraku's and took Akamaru out to play. The familiarity and the comfort felt so good to Hinata, even though Hidan was bored by it all.

By the end of the day though, there was an awkward tenseness between the two of them as they returned from a long, rambling walk. The spring time air felt sweeter and clearer in the purple, twilight gloom and Hinata steeled herself for what she _had _to say.

"Kiba, you know you're my very best friend."

Hidan kept his scathing remarks to himself.

"But-I can't let you do this to yourself and your clan. It's not fair, it-it wouldn't be right. It would be selfish of me." She murmured, looking into his lovely black eyes.

Kiba exploded.

"Selfish? Selfish? Hinata Hyuuga! You wouldn't know selfish if it _bit you in the ass!"_

She turned away, her eyes sorrowful as she leaned against the tree, arms crossed and head down.

He slammed the flat of his palm beside her head in anger, causing her to flinch and he instantly felt guilty, but he was unable to stop the tide of anger washing over him.

"You know you being selfless is what got you into this mess in the first place!" He railed. "If you had just done your damn duty like you were supposed to be everything would be fine! You're too unselfish for your own damn good! Why don't you think about your own happiness for once? And guess what! My clan is willing to overlook everything! And I know for a fact that my mother would love to have you as a daughter-in-law!"

_Ouch! Did I just use a guilt trip on Hinata? Way to go Kiba! _The dog nin grumbled to himself.

On one hand, Hidan wanted to agree heartily with Kiba! She needed to quit putting everyone else before herself and tell her heartless bastard of a father to go piss off! On the other hand, Hidan's selfish side had been soaking up Hinata's attentions and he wanted her to keep being selfless so he could have her all to himself again and because Hidan's selfish side was stronger, he wisely kept silent.

"C'mon! We can work this out. Can't you at least give it a chance?" He asked, switching to a pleading tone of voice and feeling even more guilty because he knew she would be unable to resist it.

"Alright Kiba. I'll try." She promised, when she suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with the Inuzuka

"Kiba I-" He silenced her with a kiss.

Hidan unable to do anything at the moment, turned around and crossed his arm over his chest as he sulked.

It was warm and nice and smooth, but lacked that magical _something _that Hinata had secretly read about. She could only hope she wasn't too clumsy at it, but the way Kiba deepened the kiss told her she was doing just fine.

When they broke apart, Kiba licked his lips and grinned a happy grin and Hinata smiled back, a bit tentatively and linked her arm with his, while a fuming Hidan trailed in their wake, purple eyes burning with anger and jealousy as he contemplated different ways of murdering the man who had intruded into his little world with just him and Hinata.

The days turned into weeks as March, cool and green swept through Konoha and it's lush forests, in those days, Hidan found himself unwillingly spending more and more time with The Mutt and Red Eyes than he cared too and Hinata was blissfully fucking happy with her best friend and the jealousy continued to eat at Hidan, who tossed and turned at night, sometimes waking up from angry, hazy half-dreams consisting of offering the dog nin to Jashin-sama and kissing Hinata afterwards, in this case he would wake up and do his rituals, often at unholy hours of the night, which of course woke up the object of his sinful desires. When asked what was wrong, he would turn baleful, amethyst eyes on her and complain that she had interrupted his devotions in a venomous tone and tell her to go back to sleep.

On the day of his birthday on a cold, sunny April afternoon he found himself bring treated to a cooked-at-home meal consisting of tasty lobster, salad and bread sticks.

"What's all this for?" He asked.

She gave him a shy smile.

"We-well…since you seemed to like the l-lobster that umm…one day when S-S-Sasuke-san t-took us out to-lunch so much I thought you'd umm, like to have it o-on your b-b-birthday."

There were also two packages wrapped up on the small, kitchen table.

"H-happy b-b-birthday Hidan."

Hidan was stunned and all his anger at her vanished.

"You did all this for me?" His smile, so like the one she had seen on that night when he had given her a kiss seemed to light up the room.

He tore into his presents excitedly like a little kid. There was a white, ritual robe with the Jashinist's symbol, elegantly embroidered in threads the exact shade of his eyes on it, and a new rosary made out of bone for his pendant, since his old one had been snapped during a vicious sparring match.

"Ah…uh-I uh…h-hope the robe fits."

They were a little longer at the sleeves then they should have been, but honestly, Hidan hadn't worn robes so fine since his days as an acolyte at The Temple of Death.

"Where did you get these?" He asked, fingering the robe.

"Oh I um made-made them." She said.

He wondered if Hinata realized that the white robe was only worn by those who had been chosen to be called home to Jashin-sama. No. He knew she didn't, because that was an Inner Order secret that was not written about in books and even though the sacred symbol was the wrong shade, it was either red for those who still had to wait until they completed their final tasks, or black for those whose departure was imminent, he still felt as though this was a sign from his God.

Hidan retrieved his pendant as Hinata was serving up the exquisite meal and had just finished reattaching his pendant when he caught her staring at him, with something akin to admiration in her moon pale eyes.

"What?" He asked.

She looked away from him quickly and worried at her lower lip, snapping her chopsticks.

A few days afterwards, Hiashi had come to a decision and the more he thought about it, the more correct it felt. He was originally going to allow Hinata to marry Kiba Inuzuka, but he had come across an unexpected snag.

The Inuzuka clan would certainly not stand for any offspring of theirs to be branded with the cursed seal and while he knew that the Uchiha wouldn't either, the very idea of _his grandchildren _being raised in the appalling ways of the Dog family had turned his gut.

At least with the Uchiha, they would learn impeccably good manners and the prestige of being the first Uchiha to be born in the village after the massacre would quickly null the stigma of being the children of two known traitors.

His daughter wouldn't like it, since he had observed her contentment with her teammate and her teammate himself had been absolutely furious when he paid the Head of the Inuzuka clan a visit, citing that he could not allow Hinata to tarnish their clan's reputation, but it would not matter in the end. What would be, would be and Hinata would just have to learn to adjust to her Fate as every other Hyuuga had.

Hinata knocked on the door and Hiashi beckoned his elder in.

"I have made my decision concerning your arranged marriage."

He noticed that she couldn't quite contain the small smile and felt a ghostly twinge of guilt.

"You will be marrying Sasuke Uchiha."

She stared at him blankly for a moment. A thousand retorts coming to her mind, but like a proper Hyuuga, she held them in.

"I cannot have you tarnishing the Inuzuka clan's reputation despite what they may think. They are not a part of the oldest blood of Konoha and do not really understand the political ramifications such a marriage would cause."

He expected her to cry, or to simply acquiesce. He did not expect the rising rebellion in her white eyes.

"N-no father." She said, voice shaky.

"What?" He asked, as though he hadn't quite heard her correctly.

"I am an adult in the eyes of the shinobi world and I believe I can make my own decisions." Eyes that reminded him all too painfully of his brother's when he had willingly went off to die for him.

Hiashi was absolutely furious! Couldn't he see that regardless of her personal feelings she had to put the clan's honor first? That in a way he was also doing this for her own good? He had never been a physically demonstrative person, but his hand raised high and descended down to slap her soundly. He was even more aghast that his ever obedient, eager-to-please daughter should stop that hand, like delicate manacles and request in a soft, but chilly voice.

"Please do not slap me father."

They locked eyes for a moment and Hiashi realized with a sinking heart that he would have to put her back in her place the hard way.

"Hinata please come with me." He said.

She came obediently, Hidan getting up from his chair by the doorway and following them with suspicious eyes.

They walked into the Dojo and Hinata requested for Hidan to not interfere.

Hiashi clenched his jaw as he finally saw the fire of the Hyuuga clan blazing within her. It had taken all these years when he had believed it had never been there in the first place and now that it had finally surfaced, he was going to have to extinguish it.

Hidan watched warily, the tenseness in the room was so thick you could cut it with a kunai. He had never seen Hinata's beautiful, soft eyes glaring so harshly or fiercely before. Hiashi's eyes were equally harsh and colder, both burning with white-hot flame. What the hell was going on here?

Both of them activated the Byakugan and fingers burning began to fight, blow-after blow was struck or dodged, but Hiashi was the stronger of the two and one sharp blow sent Hinata crumpling to the ground, her heart had always been weaker, which had been a well kept secret from the rest of the clan and weakened further by Neji's ferocious attack in her Chunin exams so long ago.

Hiashi watched dispassionately as blood began to pool on the floor. Though inside he was worried, it was far too much blood and she would need a medic. But he had succeeded in extinguishing that rebellious fire that had flared to life so suddenly and unexpectedly, it saddened him, but it had to be done.

"I will have Neji take you to the hospital." He said in his stern voice as he left the room. You must understand that disobedience will not be tolerated and you will do as I say. Do you understand?"

She nodded and closed her eyes before falling unconscious on the floor.

Hidan had gone pale with rage, especially at the fact that he was helpless but Hinata's own command to go to her aid and the two men shot each other a look of such hatred that it filled the whole room and Neji momentarily hesitated at the door.

When Hinata came home a few days later, she had promptly fled to her little sanctuary and struggled to keep the bitter tears that were burning in her throat at bay.

Why oh why hadn't she done more to defy her father?

Hidan walked in with blankets and promptly forced her up off the floor so he could spread one on the floor and lie down on his back, purple eyes burning with a wordless request that she come lie down with him.

Being at the hospital day-after-day with Hinata had been a harrowing experience for him. Especially since that son-of-a-bitch-bastard-heathen she called father had nearly killed her and he had known instinctively that it wasn't her time to go just yet and besides he wanted her around for his own selfish purposes.

She sat next to him and lay her head on his chest, uncaring what he thought at the moment, because right now she needed comfort and she didn't care who she got it from. One hand behind his head and the other pulling the second blanket over them, Hidan never realized how nice it felt to have her warm, comforting weight on his bare chest as they both fell into a dreamless sleep on the bathroom floor.


	10. Tension and Relief

**Tension and Relief**

_Continuation of The Two Suitors Part Two_

_

* * *

_Hinata snuggled into the hard warmth of Hidan's chest, making the suddenly very awake priest try to cross his legs so the she wouldn't get poked by an uncomfortably stiff part of his anatomy. She nuzzled him, thick, heavy hair tickling his bare chest in a very pleasurable way.

Hidan was sure his face had gone as red as hers had after hearing a raunchy joke he'd told her once. Shit! He thought, swallowing hard. Maybe attempting to comfort her hadn't been such a good idea last night. He thought. But it had been hard for him to resist after the absolute hell her prick of a father had put them through.

Hinata opened her eyes, saw the look on his face and blushed as fiercely as he did.

Hidan fought back the urge to kiss her. He wanted too, but it was too fucking creepy knowing that there were like, fifty pairs of voyeuristic pale eyes that could be watching them at any given time. Fucking perverts!

"Good m-morning Hidan." She murmured and rose to her feet.

Hidan grabbed her hand in his larger one.

"Hinata, fucking swear to me that you will never tie my hands like that again!" His voice was harsh, serious.

_He does care. _She thought in astonishment. A vague memory of him flashed into her mind, she could just hear the monitors on her vitals wailing, alerting the medics that her heart was giving out. Hidan had been there in the middle of the night when no one else had and had clenched her hand painfully as the medics resuscitated her. How odd that it had been his voice that had pulled her back, only to wake up and stare at purple eyes that were anxious and angry.

"I promise Hidan." She said. Her own voice steady, letting him know that she was just as serious as he was.

"Good. Hospitals are boring as hell and I hate being stuck in them." He drawled as though the promise was only for his convenience.

But she knew better now.

Training was restricted and so Hinata and Hidan spent the time in conversation and taking short walks. There were moments throughout the day when her eyes would fill with tears and loathing, some of it directed at herself, some Hidan knew, was directed at her father. He also knew that she wanted to avoid The Mutt and Red Eyes as much as fucking possible. Which was fucking hard to do, since they were both active people. Unfortunately The Mutt and His Fleas found them. Hinata couldn't lift her head to look him in the eye, hurt and shame stamped all over her features.

Hidan decided to run interference.

"You should feel fucking lucky." He told The Mutt. "You know she almost got herself killed for you dumb-ass!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kiba was in a foul mood and he didn't feel like dealing with the priestly prick today.

"She told her old man no and the fucker just about stopped her heart!" Hidan's annoyed drawl turned into something more venomous, more dangerous. His chakra roiled around them, all fire and fury.

Hinata was clutching her shirt, her face gone pale. She had not wanted Kiba to find out about that particular disgrace and wished Hidan hadn't brought it up.

"Hidan please…" She begged weakly. She coughed, blood splattering her jacket.

Hidan was far from finished.

"Yeah, she fucking fought for you, while you turned tail like a whipped dog and just accepted it! Tch! Fucking pitiful! And now look what you've done! You fucking upset her you insensitive asshole!"

_Him an insensitive asshole? _Kiba would have responded if it weren't for the fact that Hinata's eyes told him that she didn't blame him for anything.

The clouds were heavy and thick and a low rumble of thunder told them that rain would be on its way soon.

"I think that you need to stop bickering and-" Shino began.

"What's going on here?" Sasuke's voice cut across Shino's smoothly.

The last thing Hinata needed was for the three of them to start a brawl in the middle of the street. Kiba and Akamaru were bristling, Hidan was fingering his scythe, a vicious light in his eyes and Sasuke was tensing up.

Hinata coughed wetly.

"Since you three are too busy posturing, I will escort my teammate to the emergency room." Shino said, a faint hint of disgust in his voice.

Hidan sneered at Shino, wondering where the fuck he got the nerve and the chakra and anger behind it made the stoic Bug nin nervous.

He gently took Hinata by the arm and led her towards the hospital and she could feel his kikai buzzing under his skin at his agitation. The rain, warm and comforting began to fall.

The others followed.

Sakura frowned.

"You are going to have rest more Hinata-chan. There will be no training at all for several weeks and you need to try and minimize stress."

She scowled at the four men behind her as though it were all their fault. She was met with fierce glares from Hidan and Kiba, a compliant nod from Shino and a blank stare from Sasuke.

"I've scheduled you for a check-up on Monday, 4:30 and come back immediately if you have any problems."

"Thank you Sakura."

"Hinata, I'll escort you home." Sasuke said smoothly.

"N-no. That's a-alright Sasuke-san." Hinata murmured. I don't-don't feel like g-going home."

"Hinata."

Kiba started to go after her.

"Kiba, give Hinata and Sasuke a little time alone."

"But I didn't do anything-I mean he started it!"

"I know you didn't." Shino said, "But I think it might be stressful for Hinata to be around you, Hidan and Sasuke all at once right now."

Kiba growled under his breath, but turned and followed his friend, Shino was right, besides, it looked like Sasuke wasn't going to leave her alone right now anyways, and she would have enough to deal with, since Sasuke and Hidan were already starting to bicker.

"I want to know what was going on back there." Sasuke said, asking Hidan rather than Hinata.

"It's none of your fucking business." Hidan remarked.

"She's my fiancé'." Sasuke interjected, "So it is my business."

"So what? It's not like you've got exclusive rights to her personal life asshole!"

"Hidan, it's alright really-"

"You cause undue stress. Since you cannot manage to keep her in good health than it falls to me and when you move into my house, you will learn to act accordingly and not put her or me, through undue stress."

Building a sturdy cell into the house was looking better all the time. Sasuke thought.

"Hah! What the fuck do you care? All you see her as, is a baby making machine for little red-eyed freaks!"

"All you see her as, is a Get Out of Jail Free Card." Sasuke shot back.

"You wanna talk about undue stress? I'll give ya undue stress!"

"Bring it on." Sasuke's Sharingan flashed angrily.

"Those eyes of yours don't scare me!" Hidan sneered. "You forget, I worked with your psychopathic brother for a long time!"

"Don't you mention my brother around me!" Sasuke growled.

Hinata decided it was time to put a stop to it, before this argument went into dangerous territory.

"Please s-stop! You're both acting l-l-like children! It was a t-training accident that agi-agitated an old injury."

"What?" Hidan managed to squawk out before the jutsu took effect.

Those training accidents landed many Hyuuga in the hospital and so Sasuke let it go, though he was determined to find out the truth of the matter later.

"I d-d-d-don't mean to b-b-be rude, but-b-b-but please, I want, n-n-n-need-"

Her stuttering was bad enough that she seemed to have gotten stuck and Sasuke who understood more than anyone perhaps, what it was like to need some alone time said,

"Alright Hinata, we'll meet up again later."

She could only nod as they parted ways.

"Why m-must you-you be s-so confrontational all the-all the time?" She asked.

Hidan grinned. "It got rid of them didn't it?"

Oh. So that had been his plan.

"Yeah." She murmured and turned down the path.

Tsume was busy doing paperwork when she heard a knock on the door. What greeted her eyes was the most miserable little creature she'd ever seen. Hinata stood on her doorstep, dripping wet, pale eyes filled with hurt and shame. She looked like a drowned pup that had been abandoned in the rain.

"Hinata! Come in quick!"

"N-no thank you Inuzuka-sama. I just wanted to umm…say that I am deeply sorry for everything and that I never meant to dishonor your family or h-hurt Kiba and that I hope there will b-be no bad blood between the two clans." She bowed deeply, than burst into tears, which she had been trying to hold back all day.

Tsume held the girl, ignoring the shocked and confused glare of the prisoner leaning against the wall under his umbrella. To come all the way out here in the rain, just to apologize for something she couldn't control. She thought shaking her head. As if it were her fault. Perhaps it was time she had a little talk with her old teammate. She seriously doubted that she could change his decision, the stuck up old prick! But she'd be damned if she wouldn't tell him off!

Hiashi Hyuuga was busy doing paperwork, when he heard a knock on the door. What greeted his enhanced vision was one of the angriest looking women he'd seen in a long time and, seeing how he used to be her teammate, knew that he was going to be told off. He sighed and let her in anyways.

"Hiashi." She greeted with an angry smile on her face as she wiped her feet on the rug.

"Tsume." He said, feigning cool indifference.

"You are a real bastard you know that?"

Leave it to Tsume to come straight to the point.

"I do what I have to do, whether I like it or not." He replied coolly.

"Than why didn't you just tell Kiba no the first time? Why jerk them around like that?" She asked.

"As leader of the clan, I am expected to uphold specific conditions, whether I agree with them personally or not, just as you are expected too."

Let her try and argue with _that_! He thought wearily.

"And what is wrong with Kiba exactly?"

"Nothing." Hiashi lied smoothly while visions of grungy, flea-ridden Hyuuga grandchildren moved through his head.

"It is Hinata that is the problem, Hinata that would tarnish the Inuzuka clan's reputation. I believe I've already explained this to you."

"What a grand gesture." Replied Tsume sarcastically. "But I assure you, the Inuzuka clan is perfectly capable of worrying about it's reputation thank you. And for someone who believes in following tradition, you certainly aren't doing that now, I've seen Sasuke and Hinata together and believe me, it's not a pretty sight."

Hiashi grit his teeth. He'd forgotten about that particular piece of logic.

"All she needed to do was tell me she dislikes the Uchiha. Since she hasn't told me, I assumed that there was no problem between them." He finally managed to counter smoothly.

Tsume scowled and shook her head.

"I have to hand it to you Hiashi, you are a master at evasive hypocrisy."

Hiashi decided not to answer that one and Tsume walked out the door.

Sasuke stared suspiciously at the sake in his cup. He was not a drinker and it had only been by suspicious pestering that he had been convinced to go out drinking at all. But his pride had been pricked and he took a drink, and another, and another until one of his drinking mates, called a girl over.

A

Yuuhi, and a very pretty one, he thought as his eyes settled on Akahana's lovely lips. She was easy to talk to, and confident and didn't fawn over him and Sasuke liked that, and it felt so right to lean in close and kiss her.

At that moment, Hinata was accompanying Sakura, since it was her turn to watch him this week. Suddenly the medic stopped dead in her tracks and gaped.

Hidan craned his neck around to see that a shit-faced Sasuke was currently sucking face with a _very _pretty woman.

Both of them whipped around to see Hinata was taking it. Both were surprised to see that she seemed perfectly alright with it and was even smiling a little.

"Do you want me to go kick his ass?" Sakura growled cracking her knuckles.

"No thank you Sakura. I-I'll t-take care of it."

Akahana Yuuhi whispered something in his ear, before dancing off and Hinata tentatively moved in, much to her flustered fiancé's shock.

"Hinata-I-" He began and for once, he was the one who couldn't finish.

"It's alright Sasuke. It's j-just that you two s-seemed so na-na-natural together. I…I wouldn't be upset if-if you decided to pursue a relationship with her instead."

He nodded in a sort of stupor as Hinata smiled warmly and got up.

Hidan was shocked speechless for a few moments, before finally mumbling.

"Well I guess that takes care of Ol Red Eye."

As they walked off into the night. Hidan couldn't help but study her suspiciously.

"You're taking this awfully well."

"He's happy, I'm n-not m-m-marrying someone I don't want t-to marry and-"

Hinata laughed freely and forgetting herself completely, hugged him.

Hidan stared for a moment and kissed her, much to her shock and it felt…right somehow. Like it was meant to be, a special something sizzled and smoldered across her skin and they both broke away, refusing to look at the other.

"S-sorry Hidan." She whispered meekly.

"_No! No no no no!" _Thought Hidan! He wasn't supposed to get close to her like this! But holy fuck! She was hard not to like! Hard not to be attracted too! She was pretty and sweet and fuck! He bet she could even make that old bastard Kakuzu melt a little if he was still alive! Fuck Kakuzu! Fuck this crazy relationship! Fuck everything! He kissed her again and they both experienced different things.

Hinata felt a deeper connection, something breaking loose in him, something exciting, electrifying!

Hidan felt…warm and…good and he couldn't describe it any other way. It was the first of many secret kisses between them.


	11. Small Victories

**Small Victories**

Small communities were notorious for gossip but ninja villages were worse because the rumors were often true and news in Konoha traveled just as fast.

Hiashi had heard two rumors, one was that his future son-in-law had been caught drunk and shamelessly kissing another woman, Hinata he had heard had ended the engagement quickly and discreetly, though the how was yet unknown, he had been proud of his daughter for not getting hysterical and causing a public scene that would have been unworthy of a Hyuuga regardless of their status, he would have continued being proud if he hadn't the rumor that she had kissed the Jashinist, shortly after, he had yet to confront any of them yet, but make no mistake he would and soon.

He called them in and confirmed that yes she had broken off the engagement.

He was pleased to hear that she'd done it without causing a scene as others would inevitably had. She had acted as a proper Hyuuga.

But when he asked about her and _That Man…_

Hidan jumped up to their defense.

"Old ass…" he snarled menacingly,

"Hidan! That is not the proper way to address-"

He swiftly clapped one hand harshly over her mouth.

"…do you see this?" He pointed to his pendant.

"Do you think I'd risk eternal damnation just to get into this weak, spineless, pasty-eyed, little girl's panties?!"

He ended that rhetorical question with his voice rising to a fanatical shriek.

"I do recall being woken up one evening by words that no father should ever hear towards his daughter." Hiashi reminded him dryly, his lips were twisted in distasted.

" If it weren't for your perverted, incestuous, freaky-eyed council wanting us to watch us fuck like rabbits-"

His eyelid began ticking, he'd had enough of _his _vile mouth.

"If it weren't for the fact that Hinata is a well-brought up young lady, then I would seriously consider removing Her from your presence. Still, unlike you my daughter has restraint, so I'll take your word for it." Hiashi's voice was cold and dismissive. He waved them away.

Hinata was shocked by the compliments and support she'd received from her father and Hidan today. She also felt guilty for lying to him.

As they walked out of the office, Hidan winked at Hinata.

A shy smile graced her lips.

He had to admit to himself that she was beautiful and she was all fucking his.

* * *

He had sobered up and explained himself to the Yuuhi woman, she had been shocked, shocked that he was engaged already and shocked that his fiance' believed they would make a better couple. She had told him she needed time to think about things and left. Sakura had already been by to yell at him. Naruto had been furious and the two had gotten in a nasty scuffle, which had been quickly broken up by Kakashi.

He knew that his drunken idiocy would reach the Hyuuga household in no time. He didn't think Hinata would say anything because she had ended it without conflict, but Hidan liked to stir up trouble and he wanted to kick himself. He had been very close to his final goal and he'd blown it.

He ran a frustrated hand through spiky locks and decided to make himself presentable. No doubt he'd be getting chewed out by the clan head eventually.

* * *

Watching them interact, he could tell that something had changed between them. Shino noticed. While he couldn't exactly say that they were at peace with each other, given the fact that the Yuu nin was violent and unhinged, it was probably as close as they were ever going to get.

Despite the situation between Hiashi Hyuuga and Sasuke, it seemed as though a burden had been lifted off his teammate's shoulders.

Kiba he knew, had been hoping to get her back but Hiashi was too prideful and stuck to his belief that Hinata would bring shame to any clan, to allow it. It would be something that both his teammates would suffer from for a long time. Pity, they were a good match for each other.

It was as Sasuke had thought, he grimaced as he quickly began working to make himself look presentable. Hiashi Hyuuga had asked him to come to the Hyuuga complex. His stomach momentarily twisted in knots, before a fortifying breath calmed him.

**Author's Note**

**Yeah this aint gonna be pretty between Sasuke and Hiashi.**

**Bwa ha ha ha!**

**Oh...uh...I mean...aww screw it let the fireworks begin!**


End file.
